Long Road to Love
by natcatXjac
Summary: (former title, Mac's Cinderella) Mac realizes that Jo is the princess he's been looking for but is Mac Jo's knight in shining armor? Will she be able to fall in love again after being married to the devil himself?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: so this is my first fanfiction and i apologize beforehand if it sucks. Two of my friends (who don't even watch CSI: NY) liked it so i'm hoping you will too! :) anyway i wanted to delve into Jo's past a little before getting into any Mac/Jo action so the first two chapters will be her marriage to Russ. okay i'm gonna stop talking now and let you read the story. please read&review. thanks :D**

Chapter 1

"RUSS! STOP!" Jo screamed before Russ flung her against the wall. Jo lay strewn across the floor as the mirror crashed down on her and a million shards of glass protruded from her flesh. Blood seeped from her wounds, trailing down her arms and leg like the tears on her face. Jo almost- no she _did_ wish she were paralyzed; wished she were dead so she wouldn't have to feel the pain anymore. She prayed for the darkness to take her like it had so many times before. Unfortunately for her, Russ was adept at keeping her attuned to every blow, every slap, and every scratch he so generously gave her.

Jo had barely opened her eyes when Russ came barreling at her. He tossed aside the frame and yanked Jo up by her collar. Jo could barely apprehend what he was shouting; her ears were drowning in crimson blood. Jo could sense the darkness creeping up on her slowly, agonizingly, as if unconsciousness was taunting her with what she so desperately desired. Russ's fist went flying at her face, sending a shock wave of pain through her jaw. Russ released her from his viper-grip as her body fell to the floor in a spineless pile. He spat on her face and Jo hated herself for almost enjoying the ice cold saliva compared to the warm liquid pouring from every inch of her body.

Russ began to strip and tossed his clothes next to her. "I'm gonna take a shower. I want this mess cleaned up when I come out." He pretended to kick her once again. Jo tried to defend herself but only managed to flinch. Russ's cruel laugh resonated throughout the apartment as he strode into the bedroom.

Jo rolled over and felt a sharp pinch travel up her spine. She held back a yelp as she forced her arm to twist around to yank out a piece of glass that jabbed dangerously at her spine. At the sound of the water running Jo started a countdown in her head. It always took Russ exactly seventeen minutes to take a shower. Then another six minutes to dry off and put on fresh clothes that she had so delicately washed and folded the night before.

Jo shifted away from the glass and gripped her chest, trying to find air. She gathered as much energy as possible before standing. She swayed on her feet but leaned on a chair to keep her balance. Jo slowly leaned over and began picking up each piece of glass. Every time she bent over, she felt a rush of blood run to her head, threatening her consciousness.

Finally, she had collected and discarded every shard of glass. She struggled to slide the mirror frame into the closet. If she was lucky, Russ wouldn't think to look there; if she was _really _lucky he'd slip in the shower and crack his skull open. Jo crammed the frame into the closet and slid down, the door guiding her to the floor.

_How much longer until he comes back? Did he already get out? Please let him be in the shower still…_

Jo fought to keep her swollen eyes open to scan the room for anything she had missed. She heard the shower cut off. She felt a wave of panic overrun her body then a sudden shock of energy. The new altitude after jumping up from the floor made her head feel as heavy as a brick wall. She managed to stay up and rushed to the dining area to pick up the fallen chairs.

At the creak of the bathroom door, Jo threw herself against the wall. Her heart was close to beating right out of her chest. Russ strode through the door with only a towel wrapped around his waist. He ran his fingers through his short, spiked hair and turned on the lights in the apartment. Jo flinched at the blinding light. Russ turned the corner out of their room and saw Jo pressed against the wall. He quickly searched the room and showed a nasty frown at Jo.

"I thought I told you to clean this mess up." His vile voice was dripping with anger.

_Oh, no. What did I forget?_ If it wasn't for her sudden want to be dead at the moment, she would have been trembling uncontrollably.

Jo said shakily, "I…I did…" Russ whipped around to face her.

"Liar!" Jo bit her lip and held her hands to her face in defense. Russ bolted over to her and grabbed them down. She turned her face to the side, trying to hold back the tears.

_Don't show weakness_. She could tell herself this a million and one times and it still wouldn't work.

"Liar!" He shouted again. "What the hell is this?" Russ yelled, holding out her arms. They were covered in scars; some from the chair, some from his nails, and others from the glass. "And this?" Russ continued pulling up Jo's shirt to reveal three large purplish-black bruises around her stomach. Jo tried to loosen his grip on her wrist to pull her blouse down. "Oh, no you don't!" Russ pushed her arms against the wall, holding them with one hand. He used the other to tear down her skirt. Jo knew what was coming next. She prayed to God he beat her before he did it so she wouldn't have to feel it. Jo clinched her teeth, preparing for an even worse blow.

"You're gonna pay for this, Josephine." Russ snarled. She felt disgusted at how he spoke her name. She was disgusted with everything he did, everything he said, even with herself for falling for someone like him. She tried desperately to numb her body but it wasn't working. She felt every tear as he stripped her bare, every forceful hit as he threw her on the bed, and every push as he forced himself into her.

"You like that, don't you?" Russ laughed viciously. Jo screamed in her head, _NO, NO, NO, NO! _She wished she could say it out loud. Her voice was gone; never to be taken back, Jo feared. Finally her body couldn't take the stress anymore and she was grateful to slip into the darkness.

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Jo awoke the next morning, freezing to death. Her arms were still locked above her head and it hurt like hell to bring them down to her waist. Her bare body was exposed to the cold, dead air of the apartment. Jo turned her head slightly to find Russ's side of the bed empty; she was grateful for that and the fact that her hearing had returned completely. She lay still and listened intently; the shower wasn't on and there was no noise from the kitchen.

_Maybe he's gone. I hope he never comes back_. Even as she thought it, Jo knew it wouldn't happen. He always came back; always.

Jo breathed in slowly, feeling her rib cage crash down on her with every breath. Finally she was able to rise out of bed. She wrapped the sheet around her and practically crawled to the bathroom. When she stood to turn on the bathroom light, a sudden wave of nausea swam up her throat and Jo fell to the toilet. She vomited until she dry heaved and held her stomach tightly. She could barely breathe without feeling immense pain and vomiting added ten times as much pressure.

When Jo had finally calmed herself, she climbed into the shower. She couldn't stand long enough so she sat on the floor and let the hard, cold drops pound against her back. Jo sat for what seemed an eternity. She turned to shut off the water and stepped out of the shower. She looked into the cabinet mirror, bringing her hand up to her face and touched the small scars around it. The water had cleaned them out fairly well, and they were beginning to heal. She knew she would have to conceal her black eye with makeup. There wasn't a lie in the world she could come up with to explain that. Jo leaned against the sink and let her body air dry.

Once she was dry, she noticed red seeping through her towel. She slowly unraveled it and found a long gash across her stomach. _Where the hell did that come from?_ Jo pulled the first aid kit out from under the sink; it was chalk full of supplies as she needed them frequently. She dabbed up as much blood as she could and rubbed some anti-bacterial cream across the wound. She had to bite a washcloth to keep from yelping. Her lip was already bruised enough and she didn't want to add more teeth marks to it. Jo wrapped bandages around her waist and went to get dressed. She finally agreed on black slacks and a dark blue ruffle top. It was the only thing she could find that didn't put pressure on her torso and wouldn't show if her gash started to bleed through.

Jo was just about to leave when she heard the doorknob jiggle. Her eyes shot open. _Russ!_ Panic ran through her veins as she prepared for another one-sided fight. Russ jogged through the door, his skin plastered with sweat from his morning run. Jo began slowly backing up. She stopped herself realizing she didn't want to be blocked into a corner again. Russ frowned at her exhaustedly. He didn't say a word as he placed his Ipod on the table and began rummaging through the fridge. Jo relaxed only slightly as she began inching towards the door. She was just a foot away when Russ whipped around. "Where the hell are you going?"

Jo was paralyzed with fear. "Um…I have…" _A doctor's appointment, but should I tell him that? No, then he'll ask why and…I can't answer that._ Jo remembered that Tyler was at their downstairs neighbor's house for the night. "I have to pick up Tyler." Jo inched closer to the door. Russ stared her down and she froze. He nodded his head. "You better not be long." Jo nodded her head, shakily, and then dashed out the door. Once she was out of the building she let out a long, held breath.

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Jo sat in the doctor's office, tapping her foot nervously against the carpeted floor. "Josephson?" A young nurse called from the door. Jo shot up from her seat. She felt dizzy for a moment but brushed it off as she strode into the doctor's office.

"Hi!" The nurse exclaimed as she followed Jo into the small room. "So, we're going to do a blood test first then a urine test, just to be sure. Okay?" The nurse was far too cheery for Jo's liking. She nodded her head. The nurse smiled and said, "I'll be right back then!" She bounced off, happily.

Jo shook her head. _How the hell is she so damn happy?_

Jo got ready to pull up her left sleeve until she saw all the cuts from the shattered glass. _Maybe I should use my other arm._ She rolled up her other sleeve and saw half as many scars. Jo hung her head. She knew they would question her and she tried to think up a quick lie before the nurse came back.

"Hi!"

_Damn, she's back._

The nurse's eye immediately darted to Jo's arm. She masked her shocked expression with a light smile and Jo was grateful she didn't ask any questions. When the nurse was done she handed Jo a cup and pointed in the direction of the bathroom. "I should be back soon with the blood test results." The nurse said much calmer than before.

Jo came back from the bathroom and impatiently waited in the chair by the window. She didn't want to sit on the bed because her feet couldn't reach the floor. She nervously tapped her foot against the linoleum. Her nervous tick wasn't helping her think. So many thoughts were racing through her mind.

_Russ is going to kill me; I've already been gone two hours! What am I supposed to tell him? I have to think of something good before I get home. What if he doesn't believe me? Of course he won't believe me! He's Russ; he doesn't believe anything!_

When the nurse came back into the room, Jo remembered her dizziness and slowly rose out of the seat.

The nurse frowned and Jo braced herself. "Um…we took two blood tests; a beta HCG and a qualitative test." The nurse saw the confused look on Jo's face. "The second tests for the presence of the pregnancy hormone and the first tests for the exact level." Jo nodded her head.

"The qualitative test assured that you did have pregnancy hormones but the second-"

"What do you mean 'did'?" Jo ignored the unsteadiness in her voice.

The nurse looked down at the floor. "The beta HCG test revealed very low levels of pregnancy hor-"

"What does that mean?" Jo asked, louder than intended, as she stepped closer to the nurse.

"You were pregnant. You had a miscarriage." The nurse got ready to put her hand on Jo's shoulder but Jo backed away.

Jo could barely breathe now. She felt the walls around her crumble to dust as her chest clinched. She felt her heart beating quicker, trying to escape the pain. Jo clutched at her chest as she felt all the air escape out of her. The nurse moved slowly towards her. "Ma'am, are you okay? Mrs. Josephson?"

The nurse was about to infiltrate Jo's force field and Jo shot up quickly. "I'm fine." Jo held onto her stomach tightly. She quickly strode out of the office and ran to her car. She climbed in the seat and let her tears stream from her eyes. After about ten minutes of crying her eyes out, Jo calmed. She slammed on the accelerator and headed back to the apartment.

**A/N: yay! first chapter done! one again please read&review. constructive criticism is greatly appreciated :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: so this is chapter 2 (obviously) after this it's all Mac and Jo...sorta (hint, hint) anyway hope u enjoy read&review please :D**

Chapter 2

"Hi, Mrs. Winston." Jo announced at her neighbor's door as she quickly wiped away a tear in her eye. She was still crying and struggled to hold in her emotions.

"Josie! How are you, sweetheart?" An elderly woman with silver hair and rose tinted glasses greeted Jo. Jo could see Mrs. Winston make a strange face at her. Her eyes were already swollen and now they were puffy, plus her tears were beginning to wash off the layers of makeup she'd used to cover up her black eye.

"I'm good, and you?" Jo entered the apartment and immediately scanned the room for Tyler.

"Well, my arthritis has been acting up lately but other than that, I'm great!" Jo had never met a more optimistic person than Mrs. Evelyn Winston.

"Tyler, honey, mommy's here!" Jo called out, letting some of the panic in her voice slip out. She had to get home now, this very instant. A small four year old bounced out of the kitchen, his brown locks whipping in his face.

"Mommy!" He shouted as he ran to hug her. Jo wasn't expecting the hug and even forty-five pound Tyler hit her like a tsunami. She clinched her teeth and tried not to scream when Tyler squeezed her tight. She hated herself for not being able to hold her own child without feeling pain, without fearing he would turn out like his father, and eventually turn on her as well.

"Hey, baby." Jo kissed Tyler on the forehead. "Listen, we gotta hurry so get your stuff." Tyler ran off to grab his things.

Jo stood up all too quickly and Mrs. Winston had to grab her arm to steady her. Jo flinched at the touch and tried to pull away but the old lady was strong for her age.

"Sit down, Josephine." Jo sat on the couch and held her head in her hands. "What's the matter with you, child?" Mrs. Winston asked, slightly irritated.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Jo was a terrible liar and she knew it. Mrs. Winston saw right through her.

"Jo, I know what's going on; I know about Russ. I know about the abuse." Jo's eyes shot up to Mrs. Winston at the very mention of his name.

Jo tried to speak but she couldn't find any words. She finally managed to say, "How?"

Mrs. Winston half laughed. "You think I can't hear you? You live right above me! The walls may be thick but the floors sure as heck aren't."

Jo showed a slight grin. "Mrs. Winston, I don't even…I don't know…I know you're going to say I should leave and that it's just going to get worse but…" Jo felt the tears building up in her eyes again.

"That's right. I am going to tell you that. Josephine, you can tell me everything you think is true; you love him, he loves you, you just keep pushing his buttons. The list goes on, but none of that's true. Jo, it wasn't just the one time. He doesn't love you. If he did, you wouldn't be sitting here with a black eye and scars all over your body."

"But Mrs. Winston, I do love him!"

"That may be true! But are you really willing to let this man kill you in the name of love?"

"He would never…"

Mrs. Winston saw the look in Jo's eyes and her arm shift to her stomach. "He would…and he has, hasn't he?"

Jo opened her mouth to say something but Tyler came running back in the room. "Mommy, I'm ready!" He dragged his Elmo backpack behind him. Jo switched around. "Okay, honey." She quickly stood from her seat and grabbed Tyler's hand. "Thank you, Mrs. Winston."

Jo and Tyler were almost out the door as Mrs. Winston yelled after her. "Don't wait until it's too late, Josephine!"

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Jo and Tyler walked through the door; she was still reeling over what Mrs. Winston had said. _I do love Russ. I think…_

"Tyler, unpack your stuff. Do you want a snack?" Tyler shook his head and headed off to his room. Jo ran into the master bedroom and was relieved to find that Russ had gone._ Wait, why am I relieved? I shouldn't be happy he isn't here…_

After a long day with Tyler, Jo tucked him in and went to wait for Russ in the bedroom. Jo had some sense of security when Tyler was home. He rarely hit her if his son was within hearing distance. Jo had just settled on the couch when she heard the door slam. She jumped from her position and ran out to see Russ, his face burning redder than fire.

"Hey, Russ…" Jo said meekly. Russ ignored her, kicking off his shoes and throwing his briefcase into a stool at the breakfast bar. He took of his suit jacket and threw it on the floor.

"Pick that up." He growled. He stood over the jacket. Jo knew it was a trap but she went with it anyway. She slowly walked over to Russ and watched his face as she bent over to pick up the jacket. He stared her right in the eyes the entire time. She stood back up, holding the jacket close to her chest. Russ and Jo stared at each other for a minute before Russ finally left into the bedroom. Jo let out a quick breath then hung up Russ's jacket in the closet. She followed Russ into the bedroom and began changing into pajamas. She'd long forgotten about the gash across her stomach and realized belatedly that it had bled through the bandages and that Russ was staring at her.

"When did that happen?" Jo was shocked by the question and answered shakily. "I…I don't know…" Russ grunted and went back to changing clothes. Jo walked around him to the bathroom and changed the bandages. When she went to open the door Russ was standing an inch away from her face. She didn't get too frightened. He'd been fairly calm this whole time. Maybe it was okay.

"Where the hell were you this morning?" _Oh, no._ She was in trouble now.

"I told you…I had to pick up Tyler." She waited for him to move but he remained in place.

"It took you all damn day to pick him up?" Jo tried desperately to look him in the eyes. If she got shifty, he'd know right away she was lying. It was so difficult to look into those swirling pools of green and brown; they could lock onto you, captivate you, and drown you in five seconds straight. Jo didn't want to see those monstrous holes but she couldn't resist.

"I took him to the park." Jo could feel a bomb about to explode in her head. _Please let him believe it, please let him believe it. _

"I don't believe you." _Shit!_

"No, really I-" Russ grabbed her by the neck.

"Don't lie to me!" He flung her to the bed. Jo coughed and hacked until her airways opened again.

"I'm…not…lying!" Jo stammered out before Russ went on a rampage. He started knocking things over and flinging objects off the dresser. "Russ, stop!" Jo prayed to God Tyler was fast asleep and couldn't hear them.

Russ stopped short, stood up straight, and turned to Jo. He jumped on top of her, forcing her wrist down. "Where the hell were you?"

Jo couldn't hide it anymore. She figured, what damage could it do? "I was at the doctor's!"

"Why?" Russ showed no difference in expression.

"I…went for a checkup…" Jo wanted to close her eyes so he wouldn't see her move them everywhere but to his face.

Russ shook the bed. "Tell the truth, dammit!"

"I… I went for a pregnancy test!" Immediately Russ let go of her. He slid off her and stood at the foot of the bed.

"So…you're pregnant?" His statement was completely antipathetic.

Jo was glad she hadn't smiled after she said it or Russ would have surely killed her. "No...I…I had a…miscarriage." She sat up on the bed and pulled her legs up. She wrapped her arms around them and tried to push the tears back down. The crying had to stop, she couldn't take it anymore.

"A miscarriage?" Jo nodded her head. "So…you killed the baby?"

Jo brought her head up. "What?"

"You killed the baby! This is your fault!" Jo jumped off the bed.

"My fault? This is YOUR fault! YOU killed our baby! If you hadn't been so busy beating the daylights out of me, I could have told you I WAS PREGNANT!" Jo scared herself as she finally said the words. Russ had killed their baby. Russ had taken that life away from her and she was finally able to say it out loud.

The rage on Russ's face flared. Jo was right in his targets and he swung at her. She just barely missed the blow and dove back onto the bed. Shit, she was trapped again, just like the night before. Russ threw himself on top of her and hit her wildly. "How dare you blame me for this!" He hollered. "You did this! You killed it!" He struck her with every word. "You killed it and now I'm going to kill you too!"

"_But are you willing to let this man kill you in the name of love?"_

"NO!" Jo screamed at the top of her lungs. She threw one fist and knocked it into Russ's jaw. He went flying backward, blood and saliva trailing from his mouth. "No!" Jo screamed again. She jumped off the bed and tried to run out of the room.

Russ was quick to recover and grabbed her by the waist. "Get your ass back here!"

Jo kicked and punched. "Get off me!" She threw her arm back and landed it right in the middle of Russ's chest. The air blew out of him and he dropped his arm from Jo's waist. She bolted from the room and ran after Tyler.

She busted through the door, alerting the child. "Tyler, run, now!" Tyler jumped out his bed and ran past his mother to the front door.

Jo was quick behind him but Russ was even quicker behind her. "Get back-"He stopped when he saw the frightened look on Tyler. "Tyler, hey buddy." His voice immediately dropped from a sadistic murderer to a loving and nourishing father.

Tyler stood confused between his parents and the door. "Mommy? Daddy?" His eyes shot between them, not knowing which to turn to.

"Buddy, go on back to bed. Mommy and daddy are just having some 'fun'."

"Tyler, don't listen to him! Run-" Russ threw his hand over Jo's mouth then slid it down, yanking Jo's wrist behind her, forcing her to shut up.

"Buddy, we're just playing a game. Why don't you go back to bed?" His tone and temper were climbing again.

Tyler stood frozen for a moment then shook his head and stepped closer to the door.

"Ow! Bitch!" Jo had twisted around to face Russ and kneed him where it hurts. She quickly escaped his grasp, snatched up Tyler and found freedom out the door.

**A/N: yay! we're finally rid of Russ! please read&review**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: hi :) so here's chapter 3! finally some Mac and Jo action...sort of... i apologize if Jo is a little out of character :/ i rewrote this chapter about half a dozen times and i'm still not completely happy with how it turned out...anyway enjoy and pretty please read&review**

Chapter 3

Jo sat stretched in her chair. She'd been at the precinct long past her shift and still hadn't finished filing the huge stack of papers on her desk. She leaned further back in her chair and rubbed her temples. She picked up her cell again to call Tyler. This was her fourth call and each time she'd kept saying, "I'll be home soon." Yet, she was still sitting in her office. She picked up the phone once more as Mac came into her office.

"Jo, what are you doing here?" Mac gazed over at her. Lately he found himself staring at her more, standing just slightly closer to her in the lab, and calling her into his office for no reason whatsoever but to gaze into her beautiful caramel eyes. Admitting he was in love with Jo was something Mac had accepted but just couldn't so out loud.

Jo was slightly frightened by his entrance. She quickly calmed herself. _Not Russ, not Russ._ She repeated her mantra. "Just finishing up some work."

"It's late, go home Jo." Mac said as he turned to leave her office.

"Can't; gotta finish up this paperwork for the Parker case." Jo rubbed her temples as she checked over another file.

Mac crossed his arms over his chest. "Jo, that can wait for tomorrow. Don't you want to go home and see Ellie?" That was always Jo's weakness and Mac used it mercilessly when he saw that Jo was getting too involved in a case.

Jo sighed and shut down her laptop. "Alright, I'm going." She sighed and mumbled under her breath, "I hate when you do that."

Mac smirked as Jo approached the door. She cautiously grabbed her jacket off the hanger and Mac frowned. "Is that seriously what you're about to wear; in this weather?"

"Yeah, what's the problem?" Jo was unconsciously preparing to physically defend herself.

"Jo, it's practically a blizzard out there! You'll freeze to death."

"No, I won't. I'll be fine." Jo tried to brush past Mac but he held her arm. Jo froze; flashing back to those times. _Not Russ, not Russ…_

"I'm not letting you go out in that weather. You live too far to be out in this thing." He pulled at the thin fabric of her jacket. "You'll come home with me. I live right down the street."

_This isn't a good idea. _The voice in Jo's head reminded her.

"No," Jo said quickly. "I'll be fine. I can catch a cab."

"Jo, you know there's no way you'll be able to catch a cab. Just come home with me." Mac stared deep into Jo's eyes. She was drowning in his dark chocolate stare. Before she could even think about the words she answered, "Sure." _Damn, what the hell am I doing?_

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Jo and Mac ran into Mac's condo as she unlocked the door. Jo shivered and shook the snow off of Mac's coat that he had so graciously placed around her after they'd stepped into the cold.

"Hey, want some hot chocolate?" Mac offered from the kitchen.

"Obviously, did you think I was just going to let myself freeze to death?" Jo grinned at the irony.

Mac shot her a look. "Oh, so what did you call that little thing at the office earlier?"

Jo blushed. "Shut up and get me my cocoa."

"Ms. Bossy." Now it was Mac's turn to blush. Jo was the only person he'd let boss him around. The whole team had noticed at this point and though Mac didn't want to admit it he found that quality of Jo quite attractive.

Mac brought two steaming cups of cocoa to the living room table. "I'll be right back. I want to get out of these clothes."

As soon as Mac closed the bedroom door behind him, Jo shot up out of her seat. She ran through the condo looking for every exit route; the front door, the back door, and the windows. There were far too many sharp objects in his house. Jo was going through his culinary collection when Mac came out of the bedroom.

"Jo? What are you doing?" Mac eyed her suspiciously as she fingered his culinary knife collection.

Jo spun around. "Huh? Nothing…"

"Uh, huh…looks like you were going through my knife collection." Mac started to turn into the kitchen. Jo backed up the other direction, around the breakfast bar. He followed her with his eyes, wondering why every time he or anyone really, tried to get close to her she suddenly darted in the other direction.

"Uh…you cook?" Jo had only then realized that most of his sharp objects were cooking utensils, though that didn't make them any less dangerous.

Mac smiled and half laughed. "Yeah, I'd say I'm pretty good. Why, are you hungry?"

"No, just wondering…" Jo's shoulders tensed slightly less.

Mac eyed her suspiciously, but Jo could see whatever he was thinking slowly fade out of his head. "Anyway, would you like to watch a movie?"

_Actually, I'd like to just get the hell out of here. _"Yeah, let's see what's on." Jo went and sat on the far end of the couch, with her knees pulled up to her chest. She was quite uncomfortable in her work clothes and her foot was falling asleep.

"You want a blanket or something, Jo?" Mac leaned across on the couch to look her in the eyes.

"No, I'm good." _I want it to stop snowing so I can get the hell away from you and to my daughter._

Mac got up and pulled a blanket out of the closet. He went over and wrapped it around Jo. She felt a chill run up her spine from Mac's hands on her shoulders.

_Why must you do this to me, Mac? _

Jo was half paying attention to the movie but when it came to a part when the woman suffered a miscarriage, Jo could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. She tried to wipe them away before Mac noticed.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Mac slid across the couch and sat next to Jo.

"Nothing…I'm fine." She lied horribly.

"Obviously not," Mac turned her face towards his wiping away a stray tear from her face. Jo flinched at his hand so close to her face. She waited to feel a sting or a crack or anything painful. It was just warm and gentle. "What's the matter, Jo?"

Jo tried to pull away from him. She couldn't stand to be that close to a man, that close to anyone. "Mac, stop." She pushed his hand away from her and stood from the couch. Even with the feeling of a million needles stabbing her foot Jo kept her ground and moved as far as possible from Mac.

"Why do you do that?" Mac said as he rose from the couch as well. He'd followed her over to the other side of the couch but she'd slipped from his hands again, darting back to the other side.

"Do what?" Jo asked, stiffly, knowing full well what he meant.

"You know what I mean. Every time I or anyone gets close to you, you run away. What's up Jo? What's going on?" Mac tried to pull Jo's hand into his but she quickly retracted it.

"Nothing, Mac; just leave me alone." _Please, for the love of God, leave me alone before I have a emotional meltdown in front of you._

"Stop that! Jo, why won't you let me help you? Something is wrong. Talk to me!" Mac and Jo had been circling the couch the entire time. He was slightly irritated by this cat and mouse game.

Jo shut her eyes tight, trying to keep the tears in. "I can't tell you. You wouldn't…understand." Jo didn't believe that for a second. Knowing Mac, she knew he couldn't relate but he sure as hell knew something of what she was feeling and would do anything to help her.

Mac was now holding Jo's hands tightly in his. He wouldn't let her walk away. "I will. Just tell me."

All Jo had to do was look into his eyes and she fell apart. Though she wanted desperately to run away, she let him pull her into his arms. She shook violently from his touch and the rush of tears that she'd been holding in for so long suddenly fell. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and let her tears soak his shirt. Mac soothed her by running his soft hand down her back, whispering in her ear, and kissing her. He kissed her head, then her forehead, then her cheek, until he reached her lips. He brushed the hair from her face and slowly embraced her. Mac slid his hands to her waist and pulled her closer.

Jo felt a rush of emotions as the kiss went on. She felt like she was walking on air but drowning at the same time. It was blissful and horrifying all at once. She wanted to run from Mac yet pull him closer. She couldn't pick out the stronger emotion and before she knew it, Mac was leading her into the bedroom. An alarm went off in Jo's head. Suddenly terror and anxiety ruled her body. She didn't want to let go of Mac just yet but every inch of her body was tensing and preparing to be paralyzed.

Mac gently laid her on the bed and began unbuttoning her shirt. Jo remembered belatedly all the scars her body hoarded. "Stop!" Mac immediately paused, looming over Jo. "I…I can't…I'm sorry." Jo waited for Mac to move off of her, too afraid to touch him herself. Mac rolled over to the side of the bed and Jo immediately slid to the edge. She buttoned her shirt back up and breathed out heavily. Mac sat on the edge next to her and Jo shifted over.

"Did I do something wrong?" Mac asked, still keeping distance from Jo.

"No!" Jo answered quickly. She wasn't quite sure if he had or not. "It's not you…it's me."

"What happened?" Mac inched closer to Jo.

She simply shook her head. Those memories couldn't be relived; they were unbearable. Mac placed his hand on hers. She trembled at first, but finally let him leave it there.

"Jo, it's okay. I'm here. Talk to me." Mac's voice was like velvet to Jo's ears. It kept whispering to her to tell him everything her heart had been bearing, but Russ's nails-on-a-chalkboard voice laughed at her; it taunted her, made her believe Mac was only toying with her. He didn't really care about what she was feeling; he just wanted her for her body. _Not Russ, not Russ, not Russ, please not Russ…_

Jo could barely speak as it was and she took in a long breath. It was shaky and she could feel more tears preparing to fall. _Come on, Jo. You can do this. It's Mac, not Russ. _

Mac moved slightly closer to Jo as she stumbled out the words. "Russ…abuse…Jo cringed at the word. It was an understatement for what he had done to her. "He…he…" Mac could see Jo wanted to close up again. He placed his hand around her shoulder and held her hand with his other. Jo tensed up slightly, but convinced her body that it was safe in Mac's arms. "He forced…himself…on me…I…" Her words quickened at the thought. "I screamed and cried but he just wouldn't stop!" The tears flooded her eyes. She pulled her hands to her face. She'd cried far too much that night and couldn't stand to let Mac see her that way. Even after Russ, she'd convinced herself not to show weakness to anyone. That night, she was already infuriated for exposing so much of herself.

Mac held her tightly in his arms as she buried her head in the crook of his neck. Almost all the moisture in her body had been drained and Mac gently rocked her to a comforting sleep. He laid her on the bed and pulled the sheets up over her. As he prepared to leave the room he whispered in her ear, "I love you, Jo."

.

.

.

Jo jolted awake the next morning. _Shit, I overslept! Why didn't my alarm go off? _She rubbed the sleep out her eyes and realized belatedly she was in a bed not her own. Slowly recalling the night before she thought, _Oh, god. What have I done?_ Jo began beating up her- Mac's pillow. _Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why did I have to come over here and tell him all that? Now he's gonna hate me and I just ruined a perfectly good-_

"Jo?" Mac poked his head through the door. "What are you doing?"

Jo whipped her head towards the door then threw the pillow on the floor. "Huh, me…uh, nothing!"

"Uh, huh, right." Mac snickered behind the door. "I'm making breakfast. Do you want some?" Mac had decided to avoid the topic of the night before unless Jo brought it up, which he doubted she would.

Jo heard her stomach fiercely growl at her. "Guess so. I'll be out in a minute." Mac nodded his head then closed the door behind him.

Jo washed up in the bathroom. She tried hard not to, but she ended up looking in the mirror. Her eyes were still red and puffy. _Dammit. I don't even have my makeup. _Brushing it off, she went into the kitchen. Mac smiled and placed a large plate of bacon, grits, pancakes, eggs and cheese, sausage, and toast in front of her.

Jo stared in awe at it. "You know how to feed a girl."

Mac shrugged. "It's not exactly the best thing for you to be eating but I know you're a junk food junkie and this is the best I could do."

"Well done; though not as good as McDonald's." Jo immediately dug into the food. She scarfed it down, not afraid to show Mac her barbarous eating habits.

Mac stared at her, his fork an inch away from his mouth. "Geez, were you hungry?"

Jo nodded her head and continued chowing down. She had already finished her plate while Mac was still working on his pancakes. "You're slow." Jo teased, going to the kitchen for seconds.

"No, you're too fast; plus, your stomach needs time to digest. You're going to be hungry again in less than two hours." Mac took another bite.

"I'm always hungry." Jo sat back down, her second plate full of more food than the first.

"Probably because you don't eat; you inhale your food." Mac held back a grin. Jo waited until the fork was out of his mouth to smack him on the arm.

"Yeah, whatever; look could you hurry up? I wanna go home and check on Ellie, and I need to shower and change clothes, and then we need to get back to work." She'd already conquered her plate once again and was placing it in the sink.

"Okay, okay. I'm moving." Mac took a few more quick bites of his food then went to change clothes. "I'll be right back."

Jo wandered around his condo as Mac was changing. She noticed that he didn't have any pictures around the small home. There was art and furniture, cooking utensils and the "man area", otherwise known as the living room, but no real semblance of a home. She walked past his bedroom door and saw that he hadn't completely closed it. Mac stood in the center of the room, undressing. Jo stared as he pulled off his CSI trainee shirt to reveal his toned six pack and chest. Tiny pieces of hair poked out forming a sharp 'V' down his torso. Jo's breathing grew heavy and a few sweat droplets slid down her face. She slowly moved closer to the door as Mac began stripping off his pants. "Ow, shit!" Jo hollered as she stubbed her toe against a table leg.

Mac rushed out the room. "Are you okay?"

Jo was hopping on one leg, holding her other up. She nodded her head.

"Wait, why were you standing…were you watching me undress?" Mac smiled brightly.

Jo quickly put her leg down and walked back into the kitchen. "No, I don't know what you're talking about." She spoke so fast, Mac barely comprehended what she'd said.

"Yes you were! You sneaky little-"

"Shut up!" Jo said trying to keep him from seeing her blush. She crossed her arms over her chest and turned away from him.

"Oh, so you do like me? I knew it!" Mac was half teasing, half serious.

Jo huffed. "I do not! I was not watching you undress and I don't like you! I was just…um…" Jo couldn't think of a lie quick enough, not that Mac would have believed her anyway.

"You were what, huh? That's right; caught! It's okay. Just admit it; you love me." Mac teased playfully, but still serious.

"I…what if I did?" Jo could feel her cheeks burning bright red. She still wasn't facing Mac, but she turned half her body his direction.

"You do, don't you? You love me?" Mac sounded curious. Though Mac was now convinced he had fallen in love with this woman, he didn't have the slightest clue what she felt for him.

"I…so what? Not like you feel the same." Jo didn't believe it when she said it. If he didn't love her, he wouldn't have done what he did last night. She wanted to shut down whatever was about to happen before she got shut down again.

"What are you talking about? I love you, Jo. I thought you knew that." Mac was standing close to her now, reaching to take her body in his arms.

Jo's smile faded and she stared into Mac's eyes. "You…you do?" Jo couldn't even tell if she meant to ask. Some part of her always knew but didn't want to believe it, didn't want history to repeat itself.

"Yes. I love you." Mac pulled her closer by the waist, her arms still crossed over her chest. "I love you."

"I…love you too." _Did I just say that? Oh, god, it's too late to take it back now. What is he going to say? Wait, he already said he loves me, but what if he doesn't mean it? What if this is just a dream? What if he's just like _him_? What if…what if…_

Jo finally noticed that Mac's lips were pressing into hers. She didn't stiffen this time. She savored the kiss and gave just as much of herself to Mac as he gave to her. Finally they broke apart, gasping for air. "So does this mean…" Jo asked, still unsure of what was happening.

"If you want it to…" Mac said, hoping she wouldn't suddenly change her mind again.

Jo encircled her arms around his neck and pulled him into another kiss. "Oh, yes…" Jo whispered.

_Please don't make me regret this…_

**A/N: i hope you enjoyed this chapter! chapter 4 will be up soon (it's already written, i just need to proof read) please read&review :)**_  
><em>


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: hi again :) i decided to just post this the same day as chapter 3 because i was bored and i'm a little impatient! i did a bit of a time jump for this chapter. i didn't want to spend a lot of time on them just dating because well i'd get bored! enjoy and please read&review**

**A/N 2: so i updated this chapter because apparently Jo was subbed in for all the names o.O i honestly have no idea how that happened! it was perfectly fine when i uploaded it anyway sorry for the confusion and i hope the names make sense now!**

Chapter 4

Mac rubbed his hand up and down Jo's thigh. Jo smacked at it. "Stop that! It tickles!" She giggled. He moved his hand back to the steering wheel. "I know." He winked at Jo and she blushed.

Jo turned and stared out the window. They'd been dating now for eight months. Jo was scared out of her mind at first but Mac was patient. He never asked her to do anything he thought would frighten her and send her back hiding in the deep realms of her past. It took Jo months to accept that Mac wasn't like Russ and that he truly loved her. She still didn't completely believe it but Mac was willing to prove it to her every day. He was willing to prove to her that she could trust him, she could love him whole-heartedly, she could believe in him without fearing he would hurt her. Jo finally felt safe around him. She had finally come to the point in their relationship where she could say 'I love you' without stammering, without as much doubt and fear of what could come next. She now knew what would come next; "I love you, too."

"So you ready for today?" Mac asked, pulling her out of her daydreaming.

"What? What about today?"

Mac stared at her. "Don't you remember? We discussed this last night; we said today we would tell the team about _us_."

Jo loved the way he said 'us'. "Oh yeah…" She could barely remember what had happened last night, or any night for that matter. It wasn't because they were _busy_ but her mind was too transfixed on her love and every little thing he did and every sweet way he said things to really remember _what_ he'd said.

Mac sensed the hesitation in her voice. "Do you not want to now? I mean, I can wait if you want." Mac was a little tired of waiting but when it came to Jo, he'd find the patience somehow.

"No, no. I mean we might as well, they're bound to figure it out soon enough." Jo pondered how everyone would react. She was slightly nervous as after she told Tyler he simply said 'Whatever,' and locked himself in his room. She didn't want that from the team. These were people's whose opinions and respect she valued greatly.

"You're sure?" Mac asked again.

"Yes, I'm sure. It'll be fine." Jo said, trying harder to convince herself than Mac.

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.

.

"Hey, Linds!" Jo announced as she walked into the lab.

"Hey, Jo," Lindsay snickered to the side.

"What?" It wasn't like Lindsay to hide things from Jo; she was already suspicious.

"Oh, nothing." Lindsay giggled.

"Alright, what's going on? Is there a hidden camera somewhere? Are you guys try'na pull a prank on me or something?" Jo spun around the room expecting the team to jump out and surprise her.

"No, no…nothing like that." Lindsay teased.

"Uh, huh…" Jo eyed her suspiciously but let it go anyway.

All day, Jo had noticed the team quietly laughing behind her back. She'd ran to the bathroom at least twenty times, thinking there was a sign on her back, or her bra was showing, or a tag was sticking out. Around lunch she entered Mac's office, frazzled.

"What's wrong?" Mac asked, seeing the irritated expression on her face.

"I don't even know! All day, Lindsay and Danny and Don and Hawkes were laughing and snickering every time I left the room. Then they were having all these secret conversations and wouldn't tell me what they're talking about! Go find out, now." Jo's eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms over her chest, taking a defensive stance.

Mac laughed but stood anyway. "You don't seriously think they're laughing at you, do you? Jo, I know my team. They're childish but not cruel."

"Oh, just go." She waved her hand at him, still trying to make sense of the day's events.

Mac kissed her on the cheek as he walked out the office. He strode down the hall, searching for the team. Luckily, they were all in Adam's office laughing and talking secretively. "Hey, guys." The boss said as he entered the room. Everyone suddenly stopped talking and smiled oddly at Mac. "Um, what's going on?"

They all answered simultaneously, "Oh, nothing…"

Mac raised an eyebrow, clearly suspicious of their simultaneous response."Right…I want you all in my office at end of shift, got it?"

They all nodded their heads and dispersed, leaving Adam in his swivel chair. He spun back and forth until Mac glared at him. "You wanna tell me what's going on?"

Adam shook his head and went back to typing away at his keyboard.

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.

At the end of the day, Jo was first to stride into Mac's office. "Hey," She greeted him with a kiss.

"Hello, beautiful." Jo blushed at his compliment.

"Did you talk to the team?"

"Yes, I told them to come to my office at end of shift. They should be here in a couple minutes." Mac glanced at his watch, as did Jo.

"Good." Jo sighed. "Are you gonna tell them or should I?" She had mostly ignored the constant snickering and giggling behind her back all day and just wanted to let everyone know her-their big news.

"Doesn't make a difference to me, but I have a feeling you want me to tell them?" Mac wasn't getting a lot of hesitation from Jo, but after spending eight months with the woman he noticed she was becoming more adept at hiding her emotions. It worried him slightly but he was glad he could still tell when she was upset or angry without even having to ask.

"This is why I love you." Jo leaned over his desk to kiss him again but the opening of his office door frightened her back.

She turned to find Lindsay and Danny at the door. "Hey, you two…what's going on…" Lindsay asked, half laughing.

"Nothing." Jo said quickly as her cheeks reddened and her eyes darted to the floor.

"Right…" Danny and Lindsay said, snickering at each other.

Jo narrowed her brow. "Whatever…"

Hawkes, Don, and Adam came in shortly after. "Hey, guys." Mac said once everyone was gathered. "We," He grabbed Jo's hand. "Want to tell you something."

The whole group suddenly burst into laughter.

"Alright, dammit, somebody better tell me what the hell is going on and I mean now!" Jo shouted, still clutching Mac's hand.

"We already know!" Lindsay stated, for the whole gang. "Do you guys think we're stupid or something? It's pretty obvious you guys are together!"

"Wait, what?" Jo and Mac asked shocked.

"Uh, yeah! I mean, Jo, you're strutting around here, smiling like an idiot. Mac, I don't think I've ever seen you in such a good mood. And you both just happened to start coming to work and going home at the same time, almost every day for the past…what, six, seven months? Did you really think we wouldn't notice? We're CSIs; we're paid to observe for a living." Lindsay and the group cracked up again.

"Eight months…" Jo whispered.

"Oh, pay up guys! I told you!" Lindsay shouted as she held her hand out to the guys. They all grumbled as they reluctantly pulled out their wallets and smacked their money in her hand.

"Wait a minute, you guys bet on our relationship?" Jo asked.

"No, no….just _how long _you too have been dating." Lindsay fanned the money in front of her.

"Gee, thanks for betting on my love life." Jo said, sarcastically.

"Hey, we have to stay entertained somehow!" Lindsay laughed, folding the money and placing it in her pocket. The guys almost cried as they watched their huge stack of cash vanish.

"Well then," Mac interrupted. "Now you guys know." He pulled Jo closer and wrapped his arm around her waist.

There was a simultaneous "Awww!" in the office. Jo and Mac both blushed. "Alright, alright, out of my office. Go home!"Mac pushed the group out.

"Yeah, let's leave the happy couple _alone._" Don said as Mac rushed him out the door.

Mac leaned against the door after he'd closed it. "Glad, we got that out…or rather they figured it out."

Jo laughed. "Yeah…" She looked at her watch. It was past Ellie's bedtime and she hadn't been home in weeks to tuck her in. "Um, I think I'm gonna go home. I'll see you tomorrow?"

Mac held her waist. "You don't want to come home with me? Is something wrong?" That had seemed to become Mac's new line. He always worried about Jo and hurting her. He never quite knew what would set her off and was careful not to push too much.

"No, no! I just wanna see Ellie. I've spent more time at your house than my own and I think my daughter misses me." She looked lovingly into his eyes as she touched his cheek.

"Oh yeah…almost forgot about her." Mac teased.

"Yeah, I'll call you though, okay?" Jo kissed his cheek.

"Alright," Mac said disappointed. Jo prepared to leave but he was still holding onto her waist.

"Uh, Mac? I can't leave unless you let go." She slid his arms off her waist. "I promise, I'll call you. Love you." Jo kissed him again and strode out the door.

Mac watched her leave with longing eyes before quickly grabbing his things and rushing home.

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.

.

Mac sat on the couch holding his phone waiting for Jo's face to pop up on the screen. Just as he was beginning to fall asleep his phone beeped. He groggily answered, "Mac…"

"Hi, baby." Jo's voice shocked ac awake.

"Hey, what's going on?" He sat up on the couch, trying to keep himself awake.

"Nothing, really; Ellie was making Tyler's life hell until I came home. She just fell asleep an hour ago."

"Jo, it's midnight." Mac stifled a yawn.

"That's what I said. And now I think Tyler is mad at me." Jo's voice lowered at her second sentence.

"Why, what happened?"

"I don't know. I think he's upset about me and you. I mean after I told him we were dating he just kind of blew it off and locked himself in his room."

"Well, I can understand that. He's older, he still sees Russ as his father and I think he's having a hard time seeing his mother with another man."

"Yeah, I guess but…I want him to talk to me. He's just been ignoring me for weeks and holding up in his room or staying late at the university. The few nights I have been home I haven't seen him at all." Jo played with a thread on her sheets. Her bed didn't feel the same anymore after sleeping in Mac's so much.

"Just give him some time, Jo. He'll come to you when he's ready. If not, I'll talk to him myself." Mac covered another yawn.

"And what exactly is your definition of 'talk' in this situation?" Jo asked teasingly, already running scenarios through her head. Of course Mac would never _physically_ hurt him…

Mac laughed. "Nothing illegal…" He joked but paused to make sure Jo knew he wasn't serious.

"Mac!" Jo wished she was there to hit him on the arm.

"I'm kidding, but really I'll talk to him if you want."

"No, I don't think that's such a good idea. I guess I'll just have to wait and see."

"Yeah…" Mac laid down on the couch and tried to think of a segway into what he wanted to ask Jo.

"So what's up with you?" Jo asked, giving him an opportunity.

"Just trying to get your stuff mixed out of mine." He was still lying across the couch, but Mac had a mental image of all her feminine things mixed in with his masculine things. It was more disorganized now but he didn't mind; whatever made Jo comfortable.

Jo giggled. "Sorry, I knew I left some stuff at your house."

"It's okay. You've practically taken over my closet as it is. A few hygiene products won't kill me." Mac was partially lying; he could do without the box of tampons under his bathroom sink.

Jo laughed. "I was wondering why I had two of everything all of a sudden."

"You know, I think it would make both our lives easier if you didn't have to haul half your closet to my condo all the time." Mac sat up again awaiting her response to his unspoken question.

"Yeah…Mac, what are you asking?" Jo could feel a large smile growing on her face as she began figuring it out.

"Um, do you…you and Ellie, and Tyler if he wants…want to move in with me?" It felt like an eternity to Mac before Jo responded.

"I…yes…of course, I would love to!" Jo quickly covered her mouth, realizing she'd spoke slightly louder than necessary.

"Really? That's great! So when do you want to move in? I mean you have to tell Ellie and Tyler first? Should I be there when you tell them? Well I don't think Tyler would appreciate that. Do you think Ellie would mind moving? I mean I don't think she'd be in a new school district or anything-"

"Mac, slow down! Relax! Ellie is out of school tomorrow, so we'll take her and Tyler out to do something and tell them then. Okay?"

"Okay…" Mac smiled brightly and yawned. "What should we do?"

"I don't know. I don't think it'll matter with Ellie though."

"Well…" Mac yawned even louder, as his back connected with the soft cushions of the couch again. "How about…a movie, theme park, skating, dinner?"

"I like dinner." Mac yawned over the phone again. "Mac, you're obviously tired. Go to bed, honey."

"Okay…dinner…it is."

Jo laughed inwardly. "Okay Mac, good night. I love you."

"Night…love you…too…" Mac was just barely able to hang up before his eyes slowly fell and he dreamt of Jo.

**A/N: yay! they're moving in together! if you liked this chapter i think you'll love the next one! chapter 5 will be up soon (as in tomorrow or monday because it's already done and once again i'm really impatient). please r&r**

**A/N: so i hoped the names showed up this time, if not...well you'll just have to ignore it :/ **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: my favorite chapter is up! I have to give credit to my friends Aundrea (a.k.a. RedLilyFaire) and Maddie for helping me write part of this :) I hope you enjoy and please R&R**

Chapter 5

"I think…I'm ready…" Mac stammered out as he and Danny reclined in his living room.

"Weady por what?" Danny asked shoving a handful of popcorn in his mouth.

"To…you know…" Mac was still struggling to get the word out.

"No, I don't know, boss. You could be talkin' bout a million different things right now. Ten billion if this involves you and Jo." Danny smirked.

"Ha ha, very funny, but yeah it does." Mac's life seemed to revolve around Jo lately, which didn't bother him in the slightest.

"Well…" Danny was starting to get a little impatient. He wanted to know what Mac was getting at and now.

"I mean, I think I'm ready. That makes me sound bad, doesn't it? I mean, I should know if I am or not, but what if she's not? What if she's not ready for the next level? Do you think I'm pushing too soon? What am I talking about; it's been nearly two years with no sex whatsoever. If that doesn't prove I love her then I don't know what does. What will Ellie and Tyler think? I think Ellie would be okay but Tyler has always been skeptical. I don't want to hurt any of them. Do you think this is a good idea? What if-" His speech came out like one long word.

"Mac! First of all; WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Danny saw Mac pause and take in a long breath. His face was beginning to turn red; he hadn't breathed the whole time he was rambling.

"I…want to marry Jo." Mac hadn't said the words out loud until then and it was weird saying 'marry' in the same sentence as 'Jo.'

Danny's eyes widened in shock. He knew that was where Mac and Jo were headed, but he wasn't quite sure when. After not even a year of dating he was surprised Jo and Ellie agreed to move in with him.

One thing that didn't shock him was that Tyler blatantly refused to move in with Mac. He said no so quick, Jo barely had time to mouth the next word in her sentence. Jo had expected it and was perfectly fine letting Tyler stay in the apartment, granted he pay rent and upkeep the maintenance. Tyler was content about the deal but everyone could tell he was not happy about his mother moving into another man's home. Danny could only imagine his reaction when he found out she was getting married to Mac. That was a bomb just waiting to explode.

"Well, that's great, Mac. Glad to see you two are finally gettin' married." Danny stretched out 'finally.' "Took ya long enough just to ask her out."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Mac played it off but he couldn't help thinking that that had to be one of the best days of his life. It set in motion a relationship filled with love and passion that was immeasurable. A life filled with Jo that made him immensely joyous beyond his wildest dreams. He'd felt emotions for her that he'd never felt before and couldn't wait to share them with her; to share his life with her. "You think she'll say yes?"

"DUH!" Danny practically shouted. "Are you crazy? She loves you, Mac. She is head over heels, cloud ninety-nine, can't think straight, crazy in love with _you_. Don't tell me you can't see that?"

Mac hid his urge to blush. "I guess you're right."

"And you feel the same?" Danny already knew the answer to that so it was more of a statement than a question.

"I do…" Mac grinned. "God, I can't wait to hear those words come out of her mouth."

.

.

.

"So, what'd you want to talk about?" Lindsay asked as she and Jo sat on a bench in front of the Disney store. Lucy had practically dragged Ellie inside and Jo took the chance to finally get some 'grown-up' time with Lindsay.

"It's Mac," Before Jo could even finish her thought, Lindsay jumped at her.

"Oh, no you don't! You can't keep picking out his flaws! No one is perfect Jo, but Mac is perfect for you! You know you love him!" Lindsay had listened to Jo pick out any and every thing she could find wrong with Mac, refusing to believe he was the real deal. It took Lindsay months to convince her otherwise.

"Whoa, slow down! I don't want to break up with him or anything!"

Lindsay wiped her brow. "Oh, thank god! So, what's the matter?"

"Well, if you haven't noticed, Mac is getting kind of buff lately and he's always at the gym. Then, when he's home he can't even be in the same room as me for more than five minutes without needing a _cold_ shower!"

Lindsay was about to explode from laughter. "Oh god, stop! Please, tell me you're going somewhere with this!"

"Yes! Linds, I don't think he can take much more! It's gotten so bad; he's started going to bed earlier just to avoid seeing me in my pajamas! The other night he went to bed at six thirty! SIX THIRTY! I think he's gotten more sleep in the past month than my father did when he accidentally took twenty milligrams of valium!"

Lindsay almost fell off the bench, she was laughing so hard. "Wait a minute…you guys have been going out almost two years now and you're telling me you haven't…at all?"

Jo shook her head. "You know why…but I can't stand watching Mac long after me anymore! I swear if he pokes me again and blames it on the remote, I'm gonna lose it!"

Lindsay burst out in laughter, holding her stomach. She finally relaxed and wiped a tear from her eye. "Oh God, seriously though, what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking it's about time I stop making Mac wait…"

Lindsay stopped smiling, giving Jo the maternal and disapproving look she gave Lucy (or Danny) when she did something she wasn't supposed to. "That's good Jo, but are you absolutely sure? You can't do this just for him. You need to be ready too. You know what will happen if you push yourself…"

Jo hadn't gone through nearly eleven years of therapy not to have learned that it was all about her when it came to matters of the heart. If she gave herself away too quickly she'd land right back in that deep, dark hole she'd fought so hard to get out of. If she took too long though, she'd never face her fears and be just as deep in that terrifying place.

"I'm not pushing myself, Linds. I'm ready. I think I've finally realized that Mac isn't _him._ Mac loves me and I love him and I know deep down in my heart that Mac would never hurt me. I want to give myself to him and I know he's been itching to do the same." Jo and Lindsay giggled.

"That's great, Jo. I'm glad to see you finally found someone who makes you happy." Lindsay squeezed her hand, possibly more happy than Jo that she had found someone that could open her heart so much.

"Oh yes," Jo winked. "In more ways than one, I hope."

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.

.

"Mac, we're back!" Jo shouted as she and the ladies entered the apartment.

Mac and Danny turned around to find them each hauling at least a dozen bags an arm. Jo and Lindsay dropped some bags on the floor and Mac and Danny almost became depressed when they realized all of them were filled with _clothes_.

Danny jumped over the recliner and went to pick up Lucy. "Daddy, wook!" She exclaimed, holding up a giant Disney princess bag. Danny peaked in the bag and almost fainted at the sight of a bunch of dolls, plushies and games. "That's nice, sweetie." He said sweetly to Lucy while giving Lindsay a 'what-the-hell-is-all-this?' look. Lindsay giggled and waved a small Victoria's Secret bag in front of him.

Danny grinned devilishly. "Alright Messer family, time to hit the road!" He snatched up the rest of the bags on one arm and grabbed Lindsay's waist by the other as they bolted out the door.

"Dad, look!" Ellie announced as she carried all her bags over to Mac. "Mom, let me get this and this and this…" She pulled out each article of clothing, showing Mac. Mac nodded his head at everything, not really paying attention. He glared at Jo over Ellie's shoulder. They shared a conversation through their eyes:

_Looks like you ladies had fun today! Do I want to know what the bill came to?_

_ Unless you want to get sent to an early grave, I suggest not. _

_ Jo…_

_ Mac…_

_ Did I at least get anything out of this?_

_ Yes…but I can't show you in front of Ellie._

_ Oh, really now? _Mac then noticed a slightly revealing top hovering in front of Ellie and shot a look to Jo. _What is that? She's not wearing that out of this house!_

_ Oh, come on. It's cute. _

_ Too cute! That attracts the wrong kind of attention!_

Jo fought the urge to burst into laughter. "Ellie, why don't you go put your new stuff away?"

"Okay!" Ellie gathered her bags and kissed Mac on the cheek.

When she was out of the room, Jo said, "The shirt isn't that bad."

"Yes it is! It shouldn't even be classified as a shirt; it's two pieces of string with a square inch of fabric sewn to it! I don't want those horny little boys looking at my daughter."

"Would you stop worrying? I'm pretty sure she knows better and if anyone ever bothered her, her daddy would beat them up." Jo went to sit in Mac's lap and he immediately jumped from his seat.

"I would…so what did you get?" Mac was now hiding behind the kitchen counter.

"Oh just some stuff…and this." Jo held up a small bag from Victoria's Secret. She and Lindsay had gotten identical outfits.

"And that would be?" Mac already had an idea and could feel his mind racing with inappropriate images. He was already struggling to keep himself under control around Jo, but it was getting harder and harder.

Jo giggled as she pulled out a black lace brassiere and thong. She dangled them in front of Mac like meat in front of a lion. "You like…"

Mac could only nod his head with his mouth wide open. He was beginning to feel drool slip out of his mouth. "Um…" He quickly wiped his mouth and shook his head back to reality. "Do you really think that was a good thing to buy? I mean, we can't even use it…" Mac hadn't meant the words to sound cruel but he lightened up when he saw that Jo was still smiling.

"Tonight I think we will…"

"Really?" Mac had practically teleported from the kitchen to right in front of Jo. He wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Yes, really. I'm ready." Jo wrapped her arms around his neck.

"That's great…" Mac whispered in her ear. He was just getting in the mood (as if he wasn't already for the past two years) when Ellie yelled from her room.

"Mom! I can't fit anymore clothes in here!"

"Damn…" Mac and Jo said as they pressed their foreheads together. Jo finally slipped away from Mac. "Tonight…" She blew him a seductive kiss before disappearing down the hall.

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.

.

All through dinner Mac tapped his foot anxiously against the floor. Jo added more pressure to the sexual tension between her and Mac as she slowly ate her food, licking her fork in a seductive manner. Mac winked at her every now and then and Jo's cheeks looked like cherries, they were so red. They were lucky Ellie hadn't noticed, as she was too busy going on about her friends and the end of the school year.

When they'd finally finished, Mac threw the dishes in the sink and rushed Ellie into her bedroom. "Good night, honey." He quickly kissed her on the head and closed the door.

"Now," He said rubbing his hands together as he stared at Jo.

Jo laughed. "Um, I'm not even wearing the outfit-"

"Don't care…" Mac pounced. He swiftly lifted Jo into his arms and carried her into the bedroom.

It was all a blur as Mac laid her on the bed and they tore off each other's clothes, all the while keeping their lips locked. Mac explored every inch of her body with his smooth and caressing hands. Jo hated herself for expecting pain and fear and darkness when Mac prepared to take her. Her worries quickly disappeared as she felt an explosion of bliss and ecstasy. It was total euphoria as Mac opened not only her body but her soul. Jo was shocked to feel exhilarated, triumphant, delirious, and freed as she and Mac reached their limit. Jo felt shattered as her trip to the moon ended. It felt like an eternity before they were able to breathe again. She fell into the pillows with Mac resting lightly beside her. Mac laid his arm over her waist and entwined his hands with hers. He wrapped his other arm across her chest and held her close to him.

.

.

.

Jo slowly awoke the next morning. She rubbed her eyes and turned to Mac's side of the bed. "Mac, baby?"

She was surprised not to see him laying there. A wave of panic rushed over her. _Oh, no, not again. Please not this again._

Jo jumped up in bed, her breathing accelerating. _Breathe Jo, breathe. It's okay. It's Mac. He's probably making breakfast or out running. Though after last night, I don't know where he found the energy…_

Jo laughed to herself. She brushed away the doubts and decided to go find Mac. As she walked out of the bedroom, she was astonished by the scene; rose petals coating the floor, the sun shining at a perfect angle making the room look like a painting, and origami hearts hanging from the ceiling. She strode into the main area, with a large buck toothed smile. Jo almost fainted at the sight of Mac…on one knee…with a small box in hand.

"Jo?"

Jo's mouth dropped. She felt her head spinning.

"Jo, I..." Mac took in a deep breath. "I…" He had so many thoughts running through his head and couldn't figure out exactly what to say.

"Angel, it's impossible to measure the amount of love I have for you. It goes past the moon and the sun, throughout the galaxy and into a whole other dimension. I love you so much it hurts. My body aches and my heart feels like it's going to explode. I can't think straight, my heart is racing, and my whole body just feels like a rocket waiting to take off. I never thought a woman could do that to me. Only you can make me feel this way, sweetheart. You are the woman of my dreams and I would die if I couldn't spend the rest of my life with you. I know this won't be easy and I know we have a long road ahead of us but I want to be there for you, for us. I want to love and protect you and hold you in my arms so you never have to feel pain again. I want to be your prince. Jo, I want to be your knight in shining armor."

Jo's eyes filled with tears. She let out a soft laugh. "I'm no Cinderella."

"You're my Cinderella, my Sleeping Beauty, my Rapunzel, my Belle, my Snow White, my princess. You're my heart, my soul, my life, my everything. You are the reason I wake up every morning; so I can stare into the face of the most beautiful creature God could ever bless me with. I don't want to go another day without having the honor of calling you my wife."

Jo was so stunned she couldn't find any words to say. Her mouth was agape and she could feel her heart pounding, almost about to beat out of her chest.

Mac lifted up the lid of the box, revealing an eight carat, heart shaped, flawless cut, colorless diamond set upon an 18k white gold band with a white gold stripe wrapping around it. Jo's eyes nearly popped out of her head.

Mac pulled Jo closer to him and slid the ring onto her finger. "Josephine Marie Danville, will you marry me?"

A crystal tear slid down Jo's cheek.

_Do I love Mac? Does he really love me? Will I be able to give my heart to him? Will this even work? Will he be able to get over my past? _

"Yes…"

**A/N: I think it's because I'm a libra and an extreme romantic that I'm in love with this chapter :D oh and btw i'm not a huge smut fan so if you didn't like the sex scene sorry :/ thanks again to Aundrea and Maddie for Mac's proposal :) anyway i hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! chapter 6 will be up soon! please R&R**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: yay! Chapter 6! Have to thank another of my friends Alexis for this idea :) if she wasn't obsessed with anime/manga she'd be a great fanfic writer! Please don't get mad at me for who pays a visit to Jo in this chapter! I think you'll like it anyway…enjoy and R&R please!**

Chapter 6

"We're getting married..." Jo whispered to herself as she stared at the diamond that weighed down her hand.

"You know, I think this will go better if you speak up." Mac teased from the bathroom door. Jo had been in the bathroom for nearly an hour rehearsing how she would announce to her friends and family that she was getting married…again. Mac could tell she was excited and anxious, just itching to spread the news but she was also a little reluctant. This was her second marriage. Having to explain that to some people was embarrassing; basically admitting her first had failed. Obviously Jo wasn't the guilty party, but some people sure made it out that way. Mac had urged her to either ignore them or tell them the truth but she certainly wasn't going to do the latter. It was hard enough telling Mac, her future husband and man of her dreams, let alone all her friends and soon to be family. Jo and Mac had told a few extended friends and family members first, no one close, just to see how they would react. Of course they all shared the same basic reaction; "Congratulations! Who and when?" Jo wanted to wait to tell Tyler, Ellie, and everyone at work. They were sure to be a worthy reaction to wait for.

"I know, I know. I was just…practicing. I can't wait to see the expressions on their faces when they find out that you and me are getting married!" _You and me are getting married…_Jo loved repeating the words over and over in her head. It sounded so unbelievable and dreamy yet it was so real.

"I don't think they'll be that shocked …" Mac said as he turned to walk out of the bedroom.

"What do you mean by that?" Jo asked, following behind him, still mesmerized by the ring.

"Well, first; Danny already knows but I made him promise not to tell anyone yet. Second; they knew before we did that we were even dating. I think they've figured out that we'd be getting married at some point. Now, the ring," Mac held up Jo's hand. "That's something to be shocked at."

Jo giggled. "I guess you're right…I still can't wait to tell them!" Mac laughed at Jo, practically bouncing off the walls with enthusiasm.

"What about Ellie and Tyler?" The fact that Ellie had been living with Mac so long and they were still able to hide the ring was a miracle. "I think Ellie will be happy but I don't know about Tyler…"

"Well at least you know how Ellie will feel." Jo tried to reassure Mac. Ellie, only being twelve was extremely important to Mac and his relationship with Jo.

Though Jo would never admit it, that little girl had Jo wrapped around her finger. If Ellie hadn't approved of Mac, he would never have had a chance. Jo would have sent him packing without a second thought. Luckily Ellie quickly warmed to Mac, seeing how happy he made her mom. After just a year of dating, Ellie had even come comfortable with calling Mac, 'daddy'. Mac almost cried the first time she said it and still blushed every time she did. Jo giggled at the fact that Mac called Ellie his daughter. He figured if Ellie trusted him enough to call him dad, he could call her his daughter. Mac wasn't really worried about what Ellie would say. He already knew the now fifteen year old would be just as excited as Jo about it. Tyler was another situation.

After dating for nearly two years, Tyler still hadn't warmed up to Mac. Mac was convinced the college student just plain out hated his guts but Jo convinced him it was just a _strong dislike._ Mac let it slide, but it was obvious he was more than a little upset about Tyler not liking him. Tyler had respect for him and he appreciated the fact that he cared deeply for his mom but no matter what, no one could replace Russ. Tyler hadn't felt nor seen the dark side of Russ, which Jo was grateful for but it made it that much harder for Tyler to like any other man that tried to be a father to him; let alone another husband to Jo. Jo didn't pressure him to like Mac, he was twenty now and whether he liked Mac or not didn't seem to play a lot into Jo and Mac's relationship. Jo had let it go that Tyler didn't like Mac, and though she didn't completely not care, she wasn't about to let his feelings push Mac away.

"Don't worry about Tyler, honey. He's a grown man, if he doesn't like you that's his problem." Jo didn't totally believe this herself but she could tell Mac was still skeptical.

"But it's not just his problem; it's my problem. I love Tyler and Ellie and if either of them doesn't approve I don't want to look like the bad guy by going and marrying you anyway. Just like I asked your father for permission, I want their permission as well."

Jo smiled. Mac's chivalrous personality was a little irritating sometimes. "You're not marrying them, Mac. You're marrying me." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'll talk to Tyler if it'll make you feel better."

"Very," Mac wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into a deep, passionate kiss.

Jo giggled. "Alright lover boy, we gotta get to work."

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.

Just as Mac had guessed the team already knew of their engagement.

"Told you…" Mac teased.

"Oh, hush." Jo gently elbowed him as he came to stand next to her.

"You guys suck at hiding secrets." Don started. "I mean we were quicker to realize that you liked each other, were dating, were moving in together, and getting married than you guys were!"

"That's kinda sad, right there…" Danny and Don laughed.

"Alright, alright, we get it. We're a little dense." Jo tried to defend them.

"A little?" Lindsay was bursting out in laughter with the guys.

"Hey!" Jo shouted, crossing her arms over her chest. Mac laughed behind her. "Excuse me!" Jo's eyes glared at Mac.

"Come on, Jo. You have to admit, we were a little slow to come to realization."

Jo huffed, admitting defeat. "Yeah, I guess so…but look!" She held out her left hand to show the gang her ring. It still shone in the dim lighting of Mac's office.

Don, Sheldon, Adam, Sid, Lindsay, and Danny fawned over it, 'oh-ing' and 'ah-ing'.

"That's nice."

"Good job, Mac."

Lindsay took one look at the ring and smacked Danny on the arm. "Why can't you have good taste like Mac?"

Lindsay pouted comparing her ring to Jo's. "Babe, look…" Danny said, wrapping his arms around her waist. "You don't need a fancy ring to know how much I love you. There are other ways for me to prove that…" Danny kissed her and whispered in her ear.

The gang stared at everything else in the room, blushing at Danny's show of affection. "Alright, if you're going to do that, get out of my office first!" Mac said, shoving the couple out the door. "The rest of you guys, out." He eyed the team and pointed to the door.

"Alright, we're going, boss. Congratulations." Adam said, patting Mac on the shoulder as he left.

"Yeah, congrats." Don, Sheldon and Sid hugged Jo and shook hands with Mac as they exited.

"Hey," Sid said, before leaving. "Good luck, you're gonna need it."

Mac laughed and patted Sid on the back. "Thanks,"

Finally alone with Jo, Mac smiled brightly.

"What was with Sid? What did he say?" Jo eyed Mac suspiciously, but playfully.

"Oh, nothing…"

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.

Jo arrived home first, as Mac had to stay behind to finish some paperwork. She tossed her keys and purse on the table and hung up her coat; actually it was Mac's coat. She'd never given it back after that night, though Mac never complained. He let her keep it and it made Jo smile every time she wore it and inhaled his calming scent of axe and something else she never could quite place her finger on.

Not sure what to do with herself, Jo paced around the kitchen. She wanted to make Mac dinner but she'd decided against that, figuring she'd probably burn down the house in the process. Ellie was out with friends; female friends as Mac wouldn't let her go within a ten mile radius of a boy. Tyler was probably in his dorm though she wasn't sure; he hadn't had much communication with her in awhile.

At the thought, Jo felt a pang in her heart. She missed talking to Tyler. As her and Mac's relationship went on, Tyler shut her out more and more. Tyler didn't like Mac and there was nothing Jo could do about it. She wanted her son to get along with her now fiancé but it didn't seem like that would happen any time soon.

Tyler refused to accept the fact that someone else could care for and please his mother other than his father. He had barely known Russ, only for four years before Jo finally left. Those four years were enough though. The side of Russ that Tyler saw was a strong, brave and courageous man, not an evil monster that viciously attacked his mother every night. Tyler never understood why his mother left. Russ loved her and she loved him, so what was the problem? Tyler saw Mac as a threat, Jo saw him as a savior. Their clashing views put Jo and Tyler at odds with each other. Jo seriously debated telling Tyler about Russ but hoped Tyler would come around to Mac before it came to that. She hoped…

Tyler stepped out of his room at Mac's condo. He hated staying there but he'd locked himself out of Jo's old apartment and had to wait for her to get home to get the spare key. The college student was a little surprised to see Jo pacing around the condo.

She smiled and then stared stoically when she saw Tyler. "What are you doing here?" Jo hid the excitement in her voice. She was anxious to see Tyler. She knew she would eventually have to tell him about the engagement.

"I got locked out. I need your spare key." He said nonchalantly.

"Oh…" Jo was about to get her key, then realized then was a better time than ever to tell Tyler. "Um, wait. I need to talk to you about something."

Tyler sighed inwardly; he didn't want to be in that condo anymore. He just wanted to go home. "Yeah, about what?"

"Uh, about me and Mac," Jo waited to see his expression; it was still stoic though a hint of anger sparked.

"What about Mac?" Tyler said the words slowly, like they were a bad taste falling out of his mouth.

"We, uh…" _Come on, Jo, say it! Stop being a wimp and say it!_ "We're getting married." It was a slur of words with no space between.

"You're…what?" Tyler fisted his hands at his side. This wasn't happening. It wasn't real. It was just a bad dream.

"We're getting married." Jo tried to say, cheerfully, holding out her hand to show Tyler the ring.

"No…" Tyler stated simply.

"Excuse me? What do you mean 'no'?" Jo glared at Tyler. It was one thing to disapprove of Mac but to prohibit his own mother from marrying the man of her dreams…he was lucky she'd already put away her service weapon.

"No, you're not. You're not getting married to him. I won't allow it." Tyler crossed his arms over his chest defiantly. He'd be damned if she married some wanna-be prince just to replace his father.

"Excuse me, but last I checked, I was _your_ mother and I am perfectly capable of making my _own_ decisions." Jo tried to stay calm. She knew Tyler was upset and that he was just speaking out of anger. In order to make him listen to her, she had to keep her cool.

"I don't care. You're not marrying this man." Tyler whole-heartedly believed 'man' was an overstatement.

"Mac, his name is Mac." Jo could feel the anger slowly building up in her.

"Whatever. He's not my father. You shouldn't be marrying him; you should be marrying my father." She shouldn't have left him in the first place.

Jo almost lost it; almost. "Tyler, listen to me. I love Mac. I love Mac, not your father. There is nothing you can do or say to change that. I know you think your father and I should get back together but we're not." That could never happen again for many reasons Jo wasn't ready to tell Tyler.

"Why not?" Tyler exploded.

"Because I don't love him! Tyler, you don't know what Russ is really like and I'm not about to explain myself to you! I love Mac and we're getting married and that's final!" Jo could feel her body tense. It was nearly impossible to get through Tyler's stubbornness at that moment.

"Mac is not my father and you can't marry him!" Mother and son stood glaring at each other, fists glued to their sides.

"I will marry whoever I want! I don't care if he's not your father! Mac loves me, he loves Ellie and he loves you! Why can't you see that? Why is it so hard for you to accept that?"

"You still love dad!"

"No I don't! Tyler, please!" Jo was already tired of arguing with him. Why couldn't he see that she and Russ could never happen again?

"Yes you do! You love my dad and you should be marrying him, not Mac!"

"Tyler, no! I don't love Russ! Why won't you believe me?"

"Because it just ended; for no reason whatsoever! Tell me what happened? What did you do to make dad leave?" Tyler had convinced himself over the years that whatever reason Russ and Jo split had to be Jo's fault. His image of Russ was too perfect to stain with blame and guilt.

Jo was astonished. He thought she did something wrong to end their marriage. Her fury could no longer be contained. "I didn't do anything! It was him! Russ raped me and abused me and killed his own child! He did that to me! And you want to blame me for that?"

Tyler stared at Jo, still trying to process everything she said. "He…you…but…"

Jo finally realized everything she'd just said and could feel her anger turn to sorrow as the tears rushed to her eyes. "Oh god…" Her voice quivered and she covered her face with her hands as she sobbed softly.

"Oh, no…" Tyler was transfixed in another world. _Oh, my god, what have I done? We have to get out of here. _

"Mom…" Tyler slowly approached Jo. "Mom, we need to go, now." There was no mistaking the urgency and terror in Tyler's voice.

"What? Tyler, I told you, I'm not leaving Mac-"

The door slowly opened and a familiar voice sent panic up Jo's spine. "Jo?"

Jo's face paled as she put that voice to a face; a face of horror and vengeance and evil and monstrosity and shear pain. "Russ?"

**A/N: and cue scary music *bum bum bummmmmm* i love spoilers but I think you should wait for the next chapter to find out what happens with Russ and Jo…..please R&R! chapter 7 coming soon...**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: hola! :) here's chapter 7 and I owe some credit to one of my favorite authors Wolvistafreak3443 for inspiring one of the scenes! Enjoy and please R&R**

Chapter 7

"Hello Josephine." Russ said, entering the condo.

"Oh, god…" Jo's voice trembled as her body shook uncontrollably. "Tyler, what the hell?"

"I…I called him…I didn't…I thought…." Tyler could barely speak. This man, this God he had looked up to and worshipped. He was the devil. Tyler fought the two images of Russ in his head. Russ, saving women in distress, catching criminals; Russ, beating the living daylights out of his mother, being that criminal but never being caught. Russ playing with Tyler, showing him how to walk and teaching him the alphabet; Russ, killing his own child, ripping the heart out of Jo then crushing it into a million pieces and setting it on fire. Tyler had created a fictional Russ to fill his void and after awhile started to believe that that Russ was real. The Russ that was a hero, a man to be honored and adored, an amazing father beyond description, was just…a fake.

Tyler couldn't figure out what was reality and what was illusion. Maybe he didn't hear his mom correct, maybe she didn't say those horrific things about his father, about the man that made up half of him. Tyler looked over at Jo. The blood had almost vanished from her face; her eyes were wide and glazed. She looked like a statue, paralyzed in fear. No, this was reality. Russ had taken everything from his mother, taunted it in her face and tossed it out a window.

"Russ…" Jo couldn't say much more. Instinctively she crossed in front of Tyler, protecting him.

"Babe, I've missed you so much. Did you miss me?" Russ said, sweetly, though his voice was still filled with venom.

"No…" Jo whispered, just loud enough for him to hear.

"Really? You left in such a hurry last time I saw you. I was so distraught; I couldn't believe you were gone."

_Yeah, right! _Jo didn't know what to say. She had no way of reaching Mac now and Tyler wouldn't be of much protection; he was probably still trying to grasp the fact that his father beat his mother and he was now responsible for bringing that monster back into her life.

"Did you really?" Jo was slowly gaining her voice back. There was just a hint of sarcasm in her response.

"Yeah, I did. You know, I always regretted letting you go. I'm glad Tyler called me. He told me you've been seeing someone else. Is that true? Have you really moved on from me?"

"I…yes." Jo refrained from telling him about her engagement, still unsure of what would set him off. Eighteen years could change a person, but she had a feeling Russ was still the same, sadistic, manipulating, abusive bastard.

"Oh, that's a shame. I came back to tell you that I've changed. I really have, Jo. I want you back." Russ moved closer to take Jo's hands.

Jo flinched and pushed Tyler into his room. He stood in the doorway, there but not really _there._ Jo moved further into the condo.

"Oh, you're not still afraid of me, are you?" Russ took a step toward her and she turned her head slightly, expecting a punch to be thrown.

Eighteen years, and he still knew which buttons to push.

"No." Jo stated firmly. She wasn't afraid of him, just what he might do.

"Oh, Jo," Russ moved closer to her trying to hold her hands. Jo covered her ring and inched further away. "I still love you, Jo. I never stopped. You know after everything we went through, my heart still belongs to you."

_Ha! 'We'; don't you mean 'I'? I'm the one that got the black eyes, bruised ribs, fractured wrists, and miscarriage. What did you ever suffer; a bloody knuckle from breaking my jaw? _

"I love you, Jo." Russ said again.

_I love you, too. Wait, what am I saying?_ Russ had finally hit the right button. Jo stared, confused, at him. Believe it or not, Russ said those three words many times in their relationship. Jo always thought that if he still said it, he still meant it, and she still had a reason to stay. Then she realized, standing there just inches from him, that the only times he said it were right before he tortured her. Jo only then realized that he said it before the worst moments in her life. What kind of man tells his wife he loves her before practically beating her to death?

_He still loves me? He still loves me._ Jo was slowly beginning to believe it again. That voice in her head suddenly split in two.

_ He still loves you, he always has. You should go back to him. You know you want to. You know you still love him. He was your first. You can't forget your first. Go back to him, go back to Russ. _

_ He still loves you? You know that's a lie. He doesn't love you. He never did. He only wants to hurt you again. You don't want to be with him. You want Mac. Mac really loves you._

The voices fought with each other. One saying she should go with Russ; the other saying she should run and stay with Mac. Jo stared at Russ. Just his face brought back so many memories; some she had tried to suppress, the pain too unbearable; others too wonderful to forget.

She remembered the first time Russ hit her. She should have known then to leave but she stayed; all because he said, "I love you."

The night that they first made love; it was so beautiful and pleasurable but painful and agonizing at the same time.

The time when Russ broke her arm; he woke up the next morning nonchalant as if nothing happened. She had to explain to everyone at work how she'd "fallen down the stairs" when leaving the apartment.

The time Russ found out she was pregnant with Tyler, and went on an extreme shopping spree for baby clothes and games. The whole nine months was joyous; Jo finally felt like Russ really cared for her and loved her and their baby.

Just a month after Tyler was born; Jo was still recovering and feeling lethargic. She could barely keep her eyes open and didn't have dinner ready on time. Russ went ballistic, flinging random objects at her until Tyler's incessant crying caused him to stop. The fact that Tyler was crying upset him more than Jo's 'stupidity'. (As he put it.)

Jo ran through almost every moment of her marriage to Russ. For some reason she thought the good outweighed the bad. The voice cheering for Mac slowly grew quieter and quieter until it was silent. Jo then noticed that Russ was less than an inch away from her. He picked up her hands and laid them on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled, devilishly at her.

"Do you still love me, Jo?" Russ asked, as he began kissing her face and neck. "Did you miss me? Do you want me back as much as I want you?" Russ's lips roamed her body as his voice floated through her ears. All she could do was stare into space, imprisoned by Russ and her own thoughts.

"Jo!" Mac's voice shot into her subconscious.

"Mac…" Jo then realized Russ was still holding her tightly. "Get off me!" She shouted, pushing Russ away from her. She ran to the door into Mac's embrace.

"You…" Mac's voice was low and fierce.

_Oh, god, what have I done? Mac will never forgive me! _

Mac gently moved Jo out of the way and rushed towards Russ. With a swift right hook to the face, Mac knocked Russ to the ground. With a grunt, Russ was quickly on his feet again. He upper punched Mac in the gut, sending the air right out of him like a bag pipe. Mac was just as quick as Russ, gaining his breath back and flying at him. He kneed him in the stomach, with a quick one, two to his chest. Russ flew back, and it took him a minute to stand up straight again. Russ came barreling at him again, his fists flying towards Mac's face. Mac was lightning, though, dodging each punch. He swung his leg around to the back of Russ's knee, sending him toppling to the ground. Mac was quick to grab Russ's arms and pin them behind his back. Russ grumbled and struggled but Mac had a firm grip.

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.

.

Jo was still frozen in place after the cops came and arrested Russ. As the officers dragged Russ out of the condo, he whispered devilishly to Jo, "I'll be back, bitch…"

Jo slammed the door behind them. _No, you're never coming back._ If only she'd had the courage to say that out loud…and believe it. She leaned her head against the door and closed her eyes. She took a long, deep breath before Mac came over to check on her.

"You okay?" Mac was afraid to touch her, not knowing what had happened before he arrived. Just seeing Jo in Russ's arms pissed him off. He didn't want to know what happened but at the same time he felt he had to know. It took Jo long enough to come to that point in her life and Mac would surely kill Russ if he pushed her back.

"I…" Jo stared into Mac's eyes. They were warm and inviting and forgiving but all she felt was guilt and betrayal. For just a split second, she'd forgotten about Mac and wanted Russ. Why would she ever want to go back to that monster? She'd worked so hard to get away from him and gain her life back. Why would she choose Russ over Mac? Jo felt the tears welling in her eyes and she wanted to run, she wanted to get away from Mac.

"Jo, what's wrong?" Mac was cautious as he went to pull Jo into his arms. He was afraid she's mistake him for Russ and run, screaming away from him.

It had happened once before when Jo woke up from a terrifying nightmare. Her boundaries between reality and illusion were blurred and for a second she thought Mac was Russ and he was going to kill her. Mac waited patiently on the other side of the room for Jo to fully wake up. She didn't know why Mac was standing in a corner when she woke and Mac was hesitating to explain. She figured most of it out on her own, though.

"Jo, honey, talk to me." Mac soothingly rubbed his hand up and down her back, as she sobbed into his chest.

"I…I'm s-so, so sor-ry… I…" Jo hiccupped. "I… love you…please…please…f-fo-forgive me." Jo cried harder into his shirt. She couldn't understand why Mac wanted to hold her so closely at the moment. She had betrayed him, almost given her heart back to Russ. Why did he still love her so much after what she could have done to him?

"Forgive you? For what?" Mac was confused. What did she think she did? Mac shushed her and waited for her to calm down. "It's okay…what happened?"

"I…just for a second…I thought…I loved Russ…I'm so sorry, Mac! I didn't believe him, I swear! Please, I still love you, and only you. I would never pick Russ over you." Jo was staring into Mac's eyes again, waiting for her judgment.

"What?" Mac almost laughed at Jo's ridiculous notion that he'd hate her over something so trivial. It wasn't a small thing really, but at the same time it wasn't her fault. She didn't need to blame herself over this and everything she couldn't control. Mac knew she'd never leave him just to go back to Russ.

"I'm sorry…I-"

"Oh, Jo," Mac wrapped his arms tighter around Jo. "It's okay. I don't believe for a second that you would choose Russ over me. This isn't your fault, it's his. He made you believe that he had changed. You know deep down inside he hasn't. I know you do." Mac kissed her forehead. "You don't have to apologize."

"I…I don't?" Jo stared into his eyes again, dumbfounded. She had sworn that she'd basically almost cheated on him and he _wasn't _mad?

"No, Jo I love you. You are incapable of hurting anyone. Russ had a power over you that you couldn't control. This, what Russ did you, isn't your fault. Nothing could ever be your fault; angels are the most innocent of all." Mac couldn't find a better way to explain it to her. He didn't want to see her blame herself anymore; he didn't want to see her in pain for any reason anymore.

Jo let his words sink in then nodded her head. Mac could tell she wasn't completely sure of this but he had years to make her believe him. He had years to spend time with her and do whatever he had to in order to prove to her that she was safe from the world in his arms.

"Mom?" Tyler's soft voice reminded Jo that he was still there. She quickly wiped away her tears and smiled at him.

"Yeah, honey?" She almost hesitated on the last word, not sure if Tyler had come around yet.

"I'm…sorry…I didn't listen to you. I shouldn't have called him-" Tyler had so much to apologize for; he didn't know how to let the words come out.

Jo could feel Mac's hand tense in hers. She squeezed it back, signaling him to 'keep calm'.

"Tyler, it's okay. I know I should have told you sooner about your father-"

"Don't call him that. That…_animal_ is not my father. He never was and never will be." There wasn't a trace of insincerity in Tyler's voice.

Jo nodded her head. "I should have told you sooner. I think I know how you must have felt and I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry…to both of you." Tyler gestured toward Mac. "I guess I created this fictional father that no one could ever compare to and I didn't want you take my mom away from me." Tyler was sure now that he wasn't losing his mother, he was gaining a father.

"That's okay." Mac assured Tyler. "I know I'm not your father and can't replace him. I hope we can at least be civil to each other though." Mac joked.

"Yeah, we can. You're not so bad, I guess; as long as you make my mom happy." Tyler came over to shake Mac's hand. Tyler's smile quickly faded when he said, "Though I will warn you, break her heart and you'll have a few things broken as well."

Mac raised an eyebrow in shock. "Alright, that's fair."

"Well, I gotta get home. Bye, mom." He pecked her on the cheek. "Mac," Tyler and Mac nodded.

After Tyler had left, Mac and Jo immediately went to cuddle in bed. Mac wrapped his arms tightly around Jo. "Uh Mac, I can't breathe."

"Oh, sorry, I just didn't want to let you go."

**A/N: awwwwwwwww I love my small fight scene (thank you wolvistafreak3443) and the way I ended this chapter :) hope you enjoyed it! chapter 8 will be up soon and please R&R **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: back on track with the wedding but the drama is FAR from over! enjoy and please R&R**

Chapter 8

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN FOUR HUNDRED GUESTS? I DON'T EVEN KNOW FOUR HUNDRED PEOPLE!" Mac shouted into the receiver. The wedding planner was calling, again, to confirm whatever about the wedding. Mac had told Jo she could have whatever she wanted but this was ridiculous. Their guest list had climbed from less than fifty to four hundred in less than two weeks.

Mac was wondering where all these people were coming from. His family plus Jo's plus their friends didn't even break seventy-five. Jo had assured him that she had friends from her home town and he wasn't counting extended family and friends. Mac sighed but let her invite them anyway. 'Whatever made her happy' had become his mantra recently.

The wedding planner was still rattling on the other end, something about flowers and centerpieces and color coordination. Mac wasn't really paying attention.

"Yeah, yeah that's great. I just want to know how the hell our guest list went from fifty to four hundred! Do you know how much this is costing me?" Price didn't necessarily matter to Mac but he didn't have much to defend his stand that they had too many guests.

The wedding planner continued about there not being a budget and he needed to talk to his fiancé. "You know what? I will!" Mac slammed the phone down and rubbed his temples.

_This damn wedding is driving me up a fucking wall. Breathe Mac, this is all for Jo. Whatever makes her happy,_ _whatever makes her happy, whatever makes her fucking happy… _He needed to have a serious talk with Jo.

Mac was sure he could handle the wedding, but now he was starting to doubt himself. All the planning, picking a place, finding a tux, picking his best men, Jo's need to find the "perfect dress", flower arrangements and color schemes and etcetera. It seemed like it never stopped. He wasn't sure if a huge wedding for right for them…him, really.

"Hey, boss," Danny said as he entered Mac's office. "You good?"

"No," Mac said truthfully. "This wedding is driving me insane. Did you know Jo upped the guest list to four hundred? Four hundred, Danny! How the hell she knows this many damn people amazes me!"

Danny chuckled. "I don't see her as the social butterfly either."

"And this damn wedding planner is pissing me off. She keeps calling about color schemes and flowers and what to serve at the reception." Mac let out a heavy sigh. "It's ridiculous! I don't even want the wedding now!"

"Whoa, you're not thinking 'bout…"

"No, Danny, never; it's just this is too much. I swore I would do whatever made Jo happy…but I can't take much more of this. I don't even know if I'll be able to handle another wedding." Mac thought about Claire. He had tried so hard to suppress those thoughts, but they kept coming back.

"I know…" Danny sighed. He knew Mac was thinking about Claire again. "You love Jo, right?"

"You know I do. I would shout it to the mountaintops." Mac would do so much more to show Jo he loved her, even suffering through this wedding but he had to draw the line somewhere.

"Then stop stressing. You need to sit down and talk with her about this. About everything that's bothering you about the wedding, even Claire."

Mac narrowed his eyes. "You're trying to kill me aren't you? You know there are other ways, without making Ellie an orphan."

Danny laughed. "Come on, Mac. You know as well as I do that a relationship is based on trust and communication. Just talk to her." Danny found it ironic he was giving his boss advice about relationships.

At that moment Jo and Lindsay came busting through the door. "Mac, look!" Jo said excitedly, holding out a thick magazine.

He looked at the picture; it was a wedding dress, a very extravagant wedding dress, at that. "That's uh…um…" Mac thought it looked nice but all his emotions about a giant wedding were crowding his brain.

"It's gorgeous! This is definitely the one I want! I need to call Suzanna and let her know." Jo prepared to whip out her cell phone to call the wedding planner.

"Uh, Jo?" Mac tried to get her attention. "We need to talk."

Danny immediately grabbed Lindsay and rushed out the door.

"Uh, okay. What's up?" Jo watched Lindsay be swept out the door. She felt worry creep into her thoughts.

"Jo…this wedding…don't you think it's getting a little crazy?" Crazy wasn't the term Mac wanted to use but he figured he was pushing it as it was.

"What do you mean?" Jo sat down in front of Mac.

Mac sighed and let out just the first of his concerns. "Jo, we have over four hundred guests! I don't even know that many people! I liked it better when it was just our close friends and family."

"Oh…well we can't really tell them not to come. I already sent out the invitations."

Mac rubbed his temples again. "Okay, fine. Jo, I feel like this wedding is taking a life of its own. I mean it's huge! You've got like seven bridesmaids, and Suzanna is talking about booking some palace or whatever for the reception and you have an ice sculpture and doves Suzanna keeps calling about some center pieces or whatnot. Jo, this is too much." Mac paused dramatically, waiting for Jo's response; possibly something being thrown at him.

Jo narrowed her eyebrows and stood up from the chair. Mac could tell she was angry. "Well, fine then." Jo didn't even know what to say, though just those words said plenty for Mac.

"Jo, wait, before you get pissed." Mac knew it was already too late. Jo was far from 'bridezilla' but he knew she was extremely sensitive about the wedding.

"Ha! Too late! Mac, I thought you said I could get whatever I wanted. You said whatever I did would make you happy."

"I did, it's just…Jo, this is too much! We don't need all this!"

"I want all of this! I want a big wedding to show everyone how much I love you!"

"Jo, you can say that without all of this stuff. It's just material things. We don't need all of it and it's costing me a fortune." Mac hadn't meant to play that card but he was already losing Jo.

"Well obviously that's all you care about."

"No, that's not-"

"Just forget it, Mac!" Jo stormed out the room and slammed the door behind her. Mac almost thought the glass would crack and fall out.

They were all empty words but there was just enough truth behind everything to set them both off.

.

.

.

Jo and Mac drove home separately that night. Jo was still fuming from their argument at work and she couldn't even stand to sit next to Mac. She tried to compose herself on the ride home, knowing Ellie would be there and she didn't want her to see them fighting.

Mac arrived first at the condo. He sat in his car, waiting for Jo to pull up behind him. He finally saw her car roll up to the side of the street. They hopped out their cars at the same time."Jo!" He called as he began striding toward her.

Jo saw him and immediately darted for the house door. She whipped out her keys in record time and stormed into the house. Mac raced after her, almost getting his hand cut off in the door as she tried to slam it behind her.

"Jo, come on, we need to talk."

"I don't want to talk to you." She said curtly, tossing her bag on the kitchen table and retreating to the bedroom. Mac swiftly followed after her.

"I know, but we need to." Mac couldn't count the times he'd said that. Before he felt they really didn't need to talk about her past but it was good for her to let it out; now they needed to or the wedding would be off permanently.

Jo stopped at the door of the bedroom. "No." She closed the door almost catching Mac's fingers again. He stood outside, tapping his foot impatiently. When Jo came out she was in her blue flannel pajamas. Mac already knew how pissed she was now. He hated those pajamas, because the only time she wore them was when she wasn't in the mood for sex. At this point he thought that was his only way to relax her.

"Jo," Mac began, before she brushed past him into the kitchen.

"NO." Jo yelled at him again. She turned to the cabinet, looking for any junk food she could find. Of course, Mac being health conscious put it on the top shelf, where she couldn't reach.

"Jo, listen to me." He grabbed her arm and she whipped around to face him. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. "I'm sorry…" Mac said. "I just feel like this is getting out of hand. I didn't mean to hurt you but I have feelings too and just like I listen to you, you have to listen to me." Jo's expression softened. She kept her arms crossed, but stopped glaring at Mac. "You know price isn't a problem and I do want to make you happy, but…I can't handle this. I want to show everyone how much I love you as much as you do but I don't think a giant wedding is the way to do it."

Jo nodded her head. "I know…"

"We can still do a big wedding if you want, though." Mac was never great at bargaining.

Jo shook her head. "No, I don't want to now."

"Why not?" Mac didn't really care, he was more happy he wasn't about to embarrass himself in front of four hundred people.

"I just…" Jo shook her head. "Never mind, it's nothing." She got ready to turn but Mac gently held her arm.

"No, tell me."

"I just thought, that if the wedding was really big you would know how much I loved you and you…you wouldn't…turn out like Russ…" Jo spoke so quickly on the last part, Mac almost didn't hear her.

"Jo…we talked about this…"

"I know, I know! I just…me and Russ didn't really have a wedding. We got married right out of high school in Vegas. It was so stupid and I just thought that the bigger the wedding the more you would know how much I love you and the less chance we'd have of this ending because…I don't want this to end."

Mac nodded his head. "Jo, I love you no matter what. The size of our wedding has nothing to do with that. It's the size of my heart that really matters." He kissed her on the forehead.

"Well I see that now…" Jo smirked.

"Jo, I have something else to tell you." Mac knew he had to be honest with Jo, no matter what. He hoped she would let him finish before she started jumping to conclusions; which was a rare occasion.

"What…" They had just made up and now he wanted to drag her back down again. Jo bit her bottom lip.

"For a minute, not even that, I swear it was just a thought!"

"Mac, hurry up and spit it out." Jo was beginning to feel the suspense.

"I didn't want to get married."

"What?"

"Now, Jo, listen before you go off." Mac moved to block her from escaping. "You know I've been married before and I just-"

"You know I was married before too! You think I don't want that to happen again?" Jo was starting to feel her blood boiling.

"Jo, shut up and listen!" Mac grabbed her hands in his and kept her from running…and smacking him. "I didn't want to lose you! I thought if we got married, you would end up like Claire. I didn't want that to happen to you. I wouldn't be able to live if I lost you."

Jo glared at him for only a second before relaxing again. "I wouldn't be able to live without you either. Mac, you know not every marriage is the same."

"Shouldn't I be telling you that?"

"Shut up," She smiled but Mac knew she was serious. "I'm not Claire. You're not Russ."

"You're not Claire, I'm not Russ." Mac repeated for both their comforts.

"We have something new and fantastic and wonderful. Our marriage will be different; it'll better for the both of us. I promise."

"You'll never have another doubt in your mind again as long as you're with me. We'll be the most deliriously happy couple ever. I promise."

Mac and Jo laughed at each other as their foreheads touched. They looked up to kiss each other and they both swore they felt fireworks explode throughout their bodies.

"Excuse me!" Ellie coughed loudly from the breakfast bar. Mac and Jo broke apart to find Ellie with her arms crossed over her chest and foot tapping impatiently. "Could you stop sucking face long enough to feed your starving child?"

.

.

.

_The Wedding_

"You almost ready, hon?" Lindsay asked as she entered Jo's bedroom.

"It's a little late if I'm not, don't ya think?" Jo stood, elegantly in her long flowing dress. It wasn't the one from the magazine, though just as gorgeous.

"You look beautiful."

"Mommy, you look perfect." Ellie said holding her flower basket.

"Thanks you two." Jo let out a soft sigh. "Okay, I'm ready. Let's do this."

To say the wedding was untraditional would be an understatement. There were thirteen guests in total; Don, Hawkes, Sid, Adam, Danny, Lindsay, Lucy, Jo's parents, Jo's sister Arianna, Mac's mother, Ellie, and Tyler; fourteen if you counted the priest.

Mac and Jo had finally decided on simply getting married in their backyard. It was romantic and simple and pleased everyone, especially Mac when he found out four hundred pairs of eyes wouldn't be staring at him.

Jo decided to walk down the aisle by herself, no bridesmaids (though Lindsay sure acted like one), no men of honor. They were about to take out the flower girl as well but when Ellie practically threw a tantrum over it they decided she could. Ellie even talked them into letting Lucy be the ring bearer.

So Ellie held Lucy's hand as they slowly strode down the aisle, Ellie dropping red and yellow tulip petals as she went. Everyone had thought this strange until Jo explained that the red meant their declaration of love for each other, yellow meaning how hopelessly in love they were, and the red and yellow leaving a blazing fire of passion between her and Mac. It was quite symbolic.

They finally reached the alter where Mac awaited them in his black tuxedo. Danny swore he never saw a bigger smile upon Mac's face before that day. Mac stood perfectly still as he awaited his bride though he was so nervous he couldn't help fidgeting with his tie every now and then.

Jo fought the urge to run into Mac's arms the second she saw him. He was so handsome, like a knight. He almost looked like he had stepped out of a fairy tale. Jo still couldn't believe it was happening. She kept waiting to wake up and realize it was all a dream; that she was still married to Russ and he was about to kill her and Mac wasn't there to save her; but it wasn't a dream. It was reality. It was her dreams come true.

Mac stared down the aisle, astonished at the remarkable beauty of Jo. She was a goddess, a queen walking from her throne, a painting escaping her frame. Mac wasn't sure if he was drooling or not. He was so mesmerized he couldn't even think straight. He couldn't believe it was true, it was real; it was his dreams come true.

Jo finally reached Mac, and he held her hands in his. They stared into each other's eyes, feeling like the only two people in the universe at the moment.

They held a conversation with each other just through their eyes as the priest spoke.

_This feels like a dream, Mac._

_If it is, I don't ever want to wake up._

_Me neither._

_I love you, Jo Danville._

_I love you, Mac Taylor._

"Do you, Josephine Marie Danville, take this man, McKenna Boyd Taylor the second, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honor, and cherish, forsaking all others, until death do you part?"

"I do." Jo giggled. She squeezed Mac's hands.

"Do you, McKenna Boyd Taylor the second, take this woman, Josephine Marie Danville, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honor, and cherish, forsaking all others, until death do you part?"

"I do." Mac stood even straighter, his shape illuminated by the sun behind him.

Mac and Jo placed the rings on their fingers. "With this ring I do thee wed." They said simultaneously.

"By the power invested in me and the state of New York, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Mac dipped Jo and kissed her passionately while their guests clapped.

"I give you, Mr. and Mrs. McKenna Boyd Taylor." The priest announced over the clapping.

Everyone was still clapping when Mac finally released Jo and they stood to catch their breath. As they walked down the aisle, Jo whispered in Mac's ear. "I love you, McKenna Taylor."

"I love you too, Josephine Taylor."

**A/N: :') don't you just love happy endings? just kidding! this is definitely NOT the end! chapter 9 is coming soon! please R&R**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: HI! :D i told you i wasn't done with this story! so they've fallen in love and gotten married! now what? well read chapter nine to find out...enjoy and please R&R**

**A/N2: sorry to interrupt your intense reading...probably should have mentioned before i personally have never had a miscarriage so if you have i apologize before hand if i offend you, i did not intend to. i had to do a little research for part of this chapter and if i wrote something incorrect could you please leave a review (i like my stories to be as accurate as possible) oh and what happens with Jo is very improbable (i know that much) but for the sake of the story it's going to happen anyway...just wanted to say that, carry on...**

Chapter 9

"Dammit!" Jo threw the fourth stick in the bathroom trash can.

"Another negative?" Mac asked leaning against the door. His naked chest glistened under his sweat. Mac and Jo had been going at it, again. Every chance Jo got, she pounced on Mac. Not that Mac wasn't enjoying it, but they could barely wake up in the morning, which was taking away from their job.

"Obviously…" Jo cursed under her breath. They had been trying since their honeymoon, four months ago, and Jo was furious she still wasn't pregnant. She wasn't just furious, she was depressed. She knew it would be hard from the beginning, being over forty, but as long as her chances were still above one percent she would try.

"Hey," Mac said, pulling Jo into his embrace. "It's okay; we'll just have to keep trying."

"I'm tired of trying, Mac. I want a baby, now."

Mac smirked. "I do too, but you'll have to have patience. You probably don't know what that word means as you have none…"

Jo smacked his chest. "Very funny…" Jo's grin faded as she began playing with the hairs on Mac's chest. "It's just…what if something's wrong with me? What if we can't get pregnant because of me?"

"Jo, why would this be your fault?" Mac knew Jo was still afraid to reveal bit of her past with Russ to him. He didn't push her to, knowing how deep those scars ran.

Jo had just realized she almost let something slip she shouldn't have. Mac still didn't know about the miscarriage and Jo was still afraid of how he'd react. After telling him about the abuse, she'd expected him to leave her; saying she was pathetic and crazy and he didn't want to waste his time on someone who had 'issues'. Surprisingly, he stayed; he waited for her to come around, tried to help her heal, shared his life with her and even tied the knot. Even after all that, Jo was still afraid.

"I don't know…" Jo mumbled.

"Well, it's not your fault Jo. You know we've discussed this and nothing Russ did was your fault."

"I know…" Mac and Jo had a hard time believing that.

"Would it make you feel better if I made you a doctor's appointment; so I can prove that nothing is wrong?" Mac said as he lifted Jo's chin so he could look her in her swirling caramel eyes.

Jo nodded her head. She was smiling but not really believing it would prove anything. Jo was adamant that the doctor's appointment would only prove to Mac that all their troubles in conceiving were her fault.

Mac kissed her on the forehead. "Good, trust me, it'll just take a little time…and a little faith."

.

.

.

"Taylor, Josephine?" Jo jumped. She was still getting used to being called 'Mrs. Taylor' and 'Mac's wife' and such.

Jo weakly smiled at the nurse as she brushed past her into the back of the clinic.

"So, Mrs. Taylor, we're going to run a few preliminary tests before-"

"I already know, I've been here before." Jo so rudely yet cheerfully interrupted her. She didn't need an explanation of what they would do, she already knew. She wanted to get the tests over with so she could figure out what was going on with her body.

.

.

.

After what seemed like an eternity of being poked and probed at, Jo was swinging her feet against the plastic bed.

_Please let everything be okay; I don't know what I'll do if I have to explain this to Mac. _

The doctor strode through the room, holding a chart. Jo anxiously straightened in her posture.

"Mrs. Taylor, our test showed that you have…some…" The doctor slowed her speech as she read off the chart.

Jo continued staring at her, trying to figure out what she was going to say. "Yes…"

"You have some fetal tissue blocking your fallopian tubes which is decreasing your chances of getting pregnant. There are some ways that this could have occurred, which we tested for. You're negative for endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, and uterine cancer. One other thing that could have caused this is a miscarriage." The woman paused, staring at Jo, expecting her to jump right out and answer her unspoken question. After a minute of the women glaring at each other, she asked, "Have you had a miscarriage recently, or at all?"

Jo fiddled with her fingers. "Uh…yes…but that was years ago."

"I see…" The woman stared at her chart for a minute before looking back at Jo. "Mrs. Taylor, there are different types of miscarriages, including a complete and incomplete. A complete miscarriage is when the womb is emptied of all fetal tissue, while an incomplete miscarriage is when fetal tissue remains in the uterus. You probably experienced an incomplete miscarriage but were asymptomatic, though that's highly improbable."

The doctor was beginning to think it was a miracle Jo hadn't continued any bleeding or infection after the miscarriage.

Jo was struggling to figure out what to say. "So, um, what does that mean?" It sounded stupid to Jo but that was all she could manage. She didn't understand doctor jargon most of the time and the nurse wasn't doing a very good job at explaining.

"It means, you'll have to have a minor surgery to remove the tissue which might not increase your chances of getting pregnant." The woman didn't mean for it to sound pessimistic but as a doctor she had to tell the truth.

"What do you mean 'might not increase'?" Jo could feel the panic in her voice rising.

"Well first of all the surgery is an ERPC, evacuation of retained products of conception, or D and C, dilation and curettage. You'll be under a local anesthetic, so there is a slim chance you'll react badly to that. If not, during the surgery the surgeon will go in and remove the remaining tissue, which could cause scarring or puncture the uterus and or fallopian tubes. There is a very small chance of any of this happening but if it does, your chances of getting pregnant will dramatically decrease."

Jo pondered the thought._ Dramatically decrease? I'm practically at a five percent chance already, what more could you take?_ "Is there any way of me getting pregnant without the surgery?"

"If the tissue hasn't removed itself in the past few years, you will definitely need the surgery. If it continues to remain in your uterus it could and probably will cause an infection."

"So, basically, I have to have the surgery?" Jo didn't like where this was going.

"In a matter of speaking…"

_This is why I hate doctors and hospitals; they can't answer a damn question directly. _Jo rolled her eyes in her head. "Alright, how soon can you schedule me in?"

The doctor almost seemed shocked but she nodded her head anyway. "You can make an appointment on your way out. Please try for the soonest day possible; the faster we do the surgery, the better your chances."

.

.

.

"How was the appointment?" Mac asked with just a little too much worry in his voice. Jo had barely stepped into his office.

"Um, fine. I have to go back in a few days to finish some tests." She said in a flat, monotone voice. Jo was hiding the panic in her voice well. She wasn't sure how to explain to Mac about the miscarriage and about her ruining their chances of having a baby.

Mac could already sense something was wrong but he knew he wouldn't get anything from Jo by asking flat out. "So, everything's okay?"

"I don't know yet. I'll find out in a few days." Jo was already trying to retreat out the door. She'd said what she'd planned to say and didn't want to stay any longer. Mac had a way of accidentally interrogating her when he knew she was hiding something. She swore he did it on purpose but Mac didn't even notice; his 'natural instinct' as he called it.

"Well, did they tell you anything today?" Mac rose out of his seat and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Other than that it might be hard because of my age, nothing major." Jo had to force herself to look at Mac. If her eyes started darting around the room, he would know she was lying and she'd be caught.

"Nothing major? Does that mean they said something minor?" It almost sounded funny to Jo but she knew he was serious. He was getting into that interrogation mode.

"No, nothing, I told you. I still have tests to take so I don't know yet." Jo started inching towards the door as Mac inched towards her.

"You don't know what yet?" Mac was still unaware of the sudden interrogating tone he was taking with Jo.

"What?"

"You heard me. What are they testing for?"

"Nothing." _Dammit! Why the hell did I just say that? _Jo panicked all too quickly, letting herself get tangled in her own web.

"You said they were still testing for something, so what is it?" Mac was inching closer and closer to Jo, basically trapping her.

"Oh, um, did I say that? I meant they're done testing." _Damn, damn, damn!_

"Uh, huh…" Mac was laughing in his head. She was caught now; as much as he loved Jo, she was a terrible liar and this was just pathetic. "So, what are you going back for?"

"I…uh…a check-up?" _I'm drowning! I'm in the middle of the ocean during a storm with no life-saver!_

"Jo, what is going on?" Mac was all of a foot away when Jo's cell went off.

"Oh, would you look at that? Lindsay needs me in the lab; I'll talk to you later." Jo pecked him on the cheek as she flew out the door. _Thank God, saved by the criminal._

.

.

.

Jo tried her best to avoid Mac the rest of the day, which was not an easy task as he kept making her report to him about advances in their case. She'd fly in, rattle off whatever information she'd gathered and fly back out before he had a chance to breathe. As good as she was getting, Jo knew she wouldn't be able to get rid of him so easily at home. To make matters even worse, they'd driven to work together. The conversation was inevitable.

"You ready to talk now?" Mac asked as they slid into his car.

"Nope," Jo turned up the volume on the radio, blasting Lady Antebellum.

Mac reached over and turned it off. "You have to talk to me, Jo."

"No, I don't." Jo turned it back on.

Mac was about to turn it off again until he realized they'd be sitting in the parking lot all night if he kept playing this game. He buckled up and drove to the condo.

Jo did well on speeding into the house to avoid a confrontation and practically ignored Mac during dinner. Ellie chattered away while Mac glared at Jo from across the table. She glared right back, only snapping back to attention when Ellie was talking to her. Ellie could sense the tension between her parents and high-tailed it to her room after dinner.

Mac quickly pounced on Jo. "Are you going to tell me what happened today?"

"No, I don't wanna talk about it." Jo leaped from her seat to the bedroom and began changing.

Mac followed suit behind her. "This will probably, and hopefully, be the only time you hear me say this but; you're going to talk to me right now and I don't care how you feel about it."

Jo glared at him. Very rarely did he force her to talk to him and even if he did, it didn't sound nearly as harsh. "No." She stated firmly. Jo tossed on her pajamas and sped into the kitchen. She was going after her junk food stash. Of course, Mac had found it and moved it back to the top shelf of the cabinet where only he could reach. Jo stretched up, trying to grab a bag of Doritos.

"Yes. Stop avoiding the topic, you know it's only going to make things worse." Mac grabbed the bag down and held it over her head.

"Give it!" Jo whined. If she had to 'express her feelings', she could at least have some food.

"Not until you talk to me." Mac taunted the bag over her head. "Every word gets a chip." He popped open the bag and waved it in front of Jo.

She sighed. "I. Went. To. The. Doctor's. Office." Jo held out her hand. "Six, now."

"Ha! You're going to have to do better than that, missy." Mac continued waving the bag in front of her.

Jo narrowed her eyes at him. "Fine. They. Ran. Some. Tests." Jo held up her hand again. "Four."

"What's the magic word?" Mac teased.

"Please, dammit." She continued holding her hand out to him.

Mac laughed and handed her four Doritos. "Please chew them before continuing. Not that I don't find your mouth, and every part of your body beautiful, I just don't want to see it stained with cheese."

Jo nodded her head as she chewed. '_Whatever,'_ Her eyes said as they glared at Mac. "They. Found. Some. Tissue."

Mac handed her another four Doritos. "Tissue? What?"

"They. Said. It. Came. From. A…" Jo eyes widened then fell as she held up her hand again. Mac shook his head.

"Finish the sentence."

"A…miscarriage." Jo started wiping the cheese off her fingers. _This is exactly what I wanted to avoid. _

Mac placed the bag on the table. "Oh...I…"

"Mac…I didn't want to upset you…"

"No, it's…wow…we had a kid and I didn't even get to meet him." Mac was struggling to figure out exactly what he was feeling.

Jo's eyes flew open. "What? No, Mac, it wasn't yours. It was Russ. Mac, I had a miscarriage eighteen years ago."

Mac turned to Jo, his hands still holding to the counter for support. "Wait, what? How did they not know about a miscarriage eighteen years ago?"

Jo tried to remember how the doctor had explained it. "Something about incomplete and complete and I was asymptomatic. I don't know, but Mac, don't worry. That is why I'm going back in a few days."

"Going where?" Mac was still trying to process how a nurse could screw up that bad.

"There's a surgery they're going to do that will hopefully increase our chances of getting pregnant." Jo was trying to smile reassuringly. She wanted to dwell upon the positive parts of the surgery, not the negative. Mac would only space out more if he had to think about Jo possibly never being able to get pregnant due to the surgery.

"Hopefully? What do you mean?" Somewhere in the back of her mind, Jo knew he would ask that.

"There are just a few risks, but I'm not worried. It'll be fine." She was still able to hold his gaze, surprising both of them in the revelation that she believed that to some extent.

Mac smirked. "Aren't I usually telling you that?"

Jo grinned. "Well you can't be the only problem solver in this relationship."

They kissed passionately. He felt like her words and just a touch of her lips could erase all his worries. He hoped he was doing the same for her.

**A/N: *sigh* i'm so in love with this story :) i hope you're still reading and enjoying! chapter 10 coming soon please R&R**

**A/N2: oh also i've already planned (and written) a good portion of this story but i'm not really sure where it's going so if you have any ideas for what you would like to read please leave a review! they're greatly appreciated!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: just so you know the first part of this chapter is just a few days after the end of chapter 9. oh and sorry this chapter is so short but dont worry chapters 11-13 make up for it! enjoy and please R&R**

Chapter 10

A hazy figure loomed over Jo. The large figure was overwhelming but he smelt of a familiar scent. His warm hand caressed her cheek and Jo felt her body tingle. "Mac…"

"Hey, baby…"

Jo had just come out of surgery and was slowly awaking from the anesthesia. The entire time she was out, she dreamed of Mac and Tyler and Ellie and...a baby. It scared her at first seeing this new member of the family but in her dream Mac and her kids seemed so happy and at peace. She couldn't help thinking that if-when- she got pregnant that that was how her life would be. The dream made her anxious to wake up and be with Mac again. "Did the surgery go well? Am I okay? Can we…" Jo quickly ran out of breath.

"Calm down; everything's fine. The doctor said the surgery went great and you can leave in just an hour or two. They just need to make sure there's no scarring or anything."

"So I'm okay? We're okay to go?" Mac wasn't surprised Jo was already trying to sit up in bed.

He gently laid her back down and smoothed her hair. "Um, kind of…" Mac said sweetly with a reassuring smile.

"What…what do you mean? I thought you said everything was fine."

"It is! Geez, you are a fighter." Mac said sitting on the side of the bed as he brushed a few strands out of Jo's face. "The doctor said you need to take it easy for two to three days so no work and no stress." The obvious irritation on Jo's face made Mac smile. "I know, I know; also no sex for at least two weeks."

"Oh, that's fine." Jo relaxed slightly and leaned further into the pillows.

Mac scoffed. "Yeah, for you! I still have to work and I'll be the one running every morning again while you get to be lazy."

Jo scoffed that time. "Since when have you EVER known me to be lazy? I'd rather be at work with you."

Mac and Jo laughed at each other. They entangled their fingers as Jo pulled Mac's face close to his to kiss him. He leaned back to say, "Just two weeks, then the real fun begins."

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.

.

_Two Months Later_

Mac racked on the door. "Jo, sweetheart, are you okay?"

Jo barfed into the toilet for the fourth time that morning. "Yeah…" She grabbed the edge of the toilet again as she threw up. "No…"

"Unlock the door so I can come in." Mac jiggled the door handle. He almost had a heart attack that morning when he woke up to the sound of Jo slamming the bathroom door and heaving into the toilet.

Jo weakly lifted her hand to the lock and turned it. Immediately Mac rushed in falling to his knees to face Jo. He pulled her hair out of her face and felt her forehead and cheeks. "You don't have a fever. Have you been feeling any other symptoms?" Mac grabbed a washcloth off the sink and wiped her face gently.

"No…I haven't been sneezing or coughing…just feeling really nau-" At the word, Jo quickly turned and vomited into the toilet again. Mac held back her hair that time and caressed her back. She finally came back up and breathed heavily. "…nauseous…"

"I think you need to stay home today."

"No, no, I need to go to work." Jo wouldn't dare miss a day of work over some nausea. Though she knew she wasn't in the best shape to be chasing after criminals.

"Jo, you can barely stand! You won't even make it through the day without throwing up again. Just stay here for the day and call me or Tyler if you need anything." He gently began rubbing her back again. He wasn't waiting for a response; no matter what it was, Jo definitely was not leaving the house.

Sighing in defeat, Jo reluctantly accepted the day off. She sat on her knees for a minute, her forehead pressed against Mac's shoulder. When she had finally relaxed enough, Mac carried her back to bed. She was barely able to pull the covers back up before she passed out again. Mac laughed softly. He pulled the blanket up and kissed her cheek. "Love you…" he whispered in her ear before leaving the bedroom.

Mac grabbed both their keys, just to make sure she didn't leave in her condition; whatever it was.

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.

.

"What are you doing here?" Mac asked shocked as Jo strode into his office the next day.

"What do you mean what am I doing here? By now I'd think you'd notice I work here." Jo teased. She was still slightly nauseous that morning and Mac had urged her to stay home again but she couldn't resist coming back.

"I thought I told you to stay home. You're too sick to be working right now." He said as he led Jo to his futon.

"I'm fine now, I promise. I probably just ate some bad Chinese food or something." There was a very slim chance some bad lo mein had made Jo that sick but she couldn't stand the though of staying cooped up in the house again. She absolutely had to do something other than sit on the couch and watch Rachel Ray.

Not truly believing her, Mac nodded his head anyway. "Alright, fine, but if you start feeling sick again I'm sending you home." Mac kissed her on the forehead with his warning.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine."

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.

.

"Look, I told you I don't know this chick!" The suspect asserted again.

"We have your skin under her fingernails, your hair in her bed, and half a dozen witnesses saying they saw you at her apartment that morning. You might as well just confess now." Lindsay said, circling the young man again. She was enjoying playing bad cop this interrogation.

Jo crossed her leg over her knee. "Mr. Hopkins, if you just confess, things will go a lot smoother." She smiled softly though frowned at the sudden nausea that swept over her. Hoping the guy would confess to his crime before she vomited again, she held it together.

"I swear to you, I don't know this woman!" He tossed the picture of a young red-head across the table. "My DNA or whatever must have been planted or something! I was framed!"

Lindsay scoffed circling back around. "DNA can't just be placed under someone's nails! Just tell us why you did it and this can be over." Lindsay placed her hands firmly on the table leaning in to face Mr. Hopkins. He was clearly intimidated even by this small brunette.

The man turned quickly from Jo to Lindsay, realizing he was trapped. Jo's vision blurred and she pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to make it stop. "Alright! I did it! It was me!" The man threw up his hands in surrender.

Lindsay grinned as she crossed her arms over her chest. Hopkins confessed his crime, not sparing one gruesome detail. Jo couldn't hold it down any longer and jumped up all too quickly.

"Jo, you okay?" Lindsay's voice was a whisper as it floated into Jo's ears.

"I…need to…" Jo could hear Lindsay scream her name before she fell into unconsciousness.

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.

.

"Jo? Can you hear me? Jo!" Mac's voice resonated through Jo's dreams.

"Mac…" She slowly opened her eyes trying to find the face that matched that sweet, soothing voice.

"I'm right here." He said rubbing his thumb over Jo's cheek. He entangled his other hand with hers. To say he was worried about Jo would the understatement of the year. First she was throwing up all morning, then fainting in interrogation, and now they were back in the hospital. The doctors and nurses had probably reserved a room for the couple they'd seen Jo so many times.

Jo's eyes shot open and she reached for Mac's embrace. "What happened?"

"You fainted in interrogation." Mac rubbed her back. "I knew you were too sick to come to work." He mumbled; he knew she wasn't in the mood for 'I told you so'.

Jo finally leaned back and took in her surroundings; she was in the hospital, once again. As if she didn't loath that place as it was she just had to land right back in it. "Can I leave now?"

Mac laughed; he knew she would ask that. "I know, I know; I'll go ask your doctor." Mac kissed her on the cheek before walking out the door.

Jo played with the sheets twisting them around her fingers while she waited for Mac to come back. She felt cold not being wrapped in his arms. They always felt safe and warm and welcoming. She needed him now more than ever. A short time later, he and the doctor walked back in.

"Mrs. Taylor, how are you feeling?" The elder man asked. Jo guessed he was around fifty with his graying hair but his frame said otherwise. His structure looked like that of a man half his age, maybe younger.

"When can I leave?" Jo asked blatantly. She wasn't trying to draw it out any longer; she just wanted to get the hell out of there.

Mac and the doctor laughed. "You're right; she is impatient." Jo glared at them, tapping her fingers against her arms. "Ahem, sorry; you can leave as soon as we finish testing. So far you're negative for everything so it was probably just stress. I'll be back as soon as possible with your results."

"Thank you." Jo and the doctor nodded at each other and he was on his way.

"Jo, I have to get back to work." Mac said when they were alone.

"No, you can't leave me here alone!" She outreached her arms to him. He smiled and hugged her tight.

"I'm sorry but you won't be here much longer and I have to get back to this triple homicide. Lindsay will come pick you up when you're discharged." Mac held Jo's hands as he leaned in to kiss her.

Jo turned her head at the last second and frowned. "Fine, go…"

"That's not fair." Mac turned her face back to his and kissed her. "I love you…"

When he moved back, Jo's face was blushing a deep red. "Now that was unfair...love you too." Mac swiftly hopped off the bed and exited. _Mac Taylor, you are one sly lover-boy. _A foolish school girl smile appeared on Jo's face as her cheeks grew hotter.

An hour later Doctor Robbins entered the room with Lindsay trailing behind.

"Jo," Lindsay spoke first.

"Mrs. Taylor," Doctor Robbins began.

"Hmm, which do I respond to first?" Jo teased.

"I think you'd like to hear my news first…" Doctor Robbins announced.

"Is something wrong? Is she okay?" Lindsay asked worriedly, as she rushed to Jo's side again.

"No, no; nothing's wrong! I would like to congratulate you Mrs. Taylor; you're pregnant."

**A/N: :D yay! Jo's pregnant! isn't that great? well maybe not so much for Mac with the whole extra emotional thing...you'll see...in chapters 11-13 which i'll be posting all at once! YAY FOR EXTRA READING! anyway chapters will be up soon please R&R **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: as i promised, 3 chapters in one day! :D so each chapter is about one trimester and there are three short stories every 4 weeks starting at week 8 until week 40. i tried to keep the drama as light as possible and amp up the comedy (if you dont find it funny, sorry! i tried!) hope you enjoy and please R&R**

**A/N2: oh forgot to say hope you're having an awesome spring break (if you're in school and are on spring break like i am right now) ok continue reading...**

Chapter 11

_Eight weeks_

"Oh…my…God…"

"I'm what?" Jo shot up in the bed. _Did he just say PREGNANT? How is this even happening? What the…_

"Yes, congratulations," Doctor Robbins said again. He was still smiling brightly while Jo sat, shell-shocked.

"Oh…my…God…" Lindsay repeated. She was possibly more stunned than Jo in the fact she could barely stammer out a sentence.

"I…what?"

Doctor Robbins laughed. "I can see you need a moment to collect your thoughts. A nurse will be back in a few with your discharge papers and to make you an appointment for your first prenatal check up." Doctor Robbins turned swiftly and exited the room, leaving Jo and Lindsay staring blankly at each other..

"Oh…my…God…" Lindsay was running on autopilot.

"Please, say something else!" Jo brought herself back to reality. The doctor's words were still swirling around her brain.

"I…don't even…I don't know what to say!" Lindsay flashed a huge smile. "You're pregnant! This is great! Oh my gosh, wait until you tell Mac! He's going to be so excited! I bet you're through the roof right now! This is fantastic!" Lindsay was staring into space, barely noticing the still blank expression on Jo's face.

"Jo, honey," Lindsay waved her hand in front Jo's face. "Jo, come back…"

_Oh my gosh…I'm…pregnant…with Mac's baby…_

"Jo?" Lindsay gently shook Jo's shoulders.

"Huh?" Jo realized then that she was still in the hospital with Lindsay hovering over her. "What?"

"Aren't you excited?" Lindsay was waiting for Jo's reaction, unable to read her face.

"I…yeah…" Jo smiled weakly.

Lindsay stood up straight not completely convinced. "Uh, huh…what's wrong?"

"Nothing…I'm…" _Pregnant. _Jo hadn't said those words in twenty two years and they felt weird coming from her mouth, but there was no mistaking she was ecstatic about it.

"Say it with me Jo; 'I am pregnant.'" Lindsay was holding Jo's hands in hers, as if transferring her excessive amount of energy to Jo.

"I'm pregnant…I'm pregnant!" Jo and Lindsay screeched.

"Now just to tell Mac!" Lindsay and Jo giggled then Jo frowned. "What?"

"I'm gonna be huge!"

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.

.

"You're what?"

Jo laughed at Mac's reaction. "That's what I said." Mac had the same stunned expression Lindsay had when she found out.

"You're what?"

Jo sighed. "Oh, God, not this again."

"That's…that's…GREAT!" Mac swooped Jo up in his arms and kissed her passionately. "This is amazing! I can't wait to tell everyone; I mean of course we'll tell them together. When you're ready too; I know the first trimester is tricky and everything and I don't want to rush you." Mac set her on her feet again. "This is…wow! I can't believe it! We'll have to set up a nursery and buy new clothes and Lindsay can throw you a baby shower and…I wonder how Ellie and Tyler will feel. I hope Ellie won't get jealous-" Mac's face was slowly turning red and he finally paused to breathe. "Wow…" He said as he kissed Jo again.

Jo laughed. "We're pregnant!"

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_Twelve weeks_

"Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, it's good to see you again." Doctor Robbins said as he entered Jo's exam room. Jo was already twelve weeks and she and Mac were only at their first prenatal checkup. Doctor Robbins had warned her before that since she was so far behind, it'd be a long checkup and they'd probably need the whole day off.

"Can we get started please? You are taking away from us protecting the city of New York." Jo said. Doctor Robbins laughed but Mac could tell she was serious. Jo hated to be away from her job and he wondered how she would deal during her maternity leave.

The doctor pulled out his chart, preparing to give a rundown of the checkup more for Mac's benefit than Jo's."Okay, we need your medical history, physical exam, internal exam, blood tests, urinalysis, weight and blood pressure, ultrasound if you'd like-"

"Yes!" Mac and Jo exclaimed before the doctor could finish his last syllable.

The doctor smirked. "You do know that'll take from your job as well."

"Don't care; I wanna see our baby." Jo blushed.

"Alright then, let's get started."

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.

.

After what seemed an eternity of tests and exams and questioning, Jo lay across on the bed, her still flat stomach exposed.

"Can you tell the gender right now?" Mac asked, squeezing Jo's hand as the nurse rubbed a blue gel on Jo's abdomen.

"Too early to tell right now, baby." Jo said, already knowledgeable on the subject because of Tyler.

"Well, when can we tell?"

"Usually between eighteen and twenty weeks." The nurse answered for Jo.

"Oh, okay…" Mac was almost disappointed until he heard a quick and steady THUMP THUMP THUMP in the small room. "Whoa, is that her…er, it's heartbeat?"

Mac and Jo leaned in close to the screen. "You probably can't see it; the baby is about the size of a grape right now, but yes. That's your baby's heartbeat."

"It's so fast. Is that normal?" Mac already had that overprotective, concerned tone he took whenever the subject of Ellie or Jo came up.

"Completely; the baby's heart rate sort of depends on the mother's. It usually twice as fast as the mother's so you," The nurse gestured toward Jo. "should try to keep as unstressed as possible. It can be very dangerous for the baby if you're heart rate gets too fast."

Jo and Mac glanced at each other. Obviously, the nurse was uninformed in the fact that Jo was a cop and that stress was a constant factor in her job; trying to keep calm might be easier said than done.

Mac was smiling deliriously when Jo looked up. He stared at the screen, probably imagining a hundred million memories soon to come. "That's our baby's heartbeat…"

Jo giggled. "If this is your reaction at just its heartbeat, I can't wait to see how you react when you actually get to meet it in person."

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.

Jo itched at her stomach; some of the gel from the ultrasound was still clinging to her skin. "Where is Doctor Robbins? I told him we had to get back to work."

Mac laughed. "You don't _have_ to get back to work; you _want_ to get back to work. Be patient; he said he had to finish with another patient, and then check your blood pressure and then we can _finally_ leave."

Jo grinned and began tapping her foot against the side of the exam bed.

"I hope our baby doesn't have that annoying tick…" Mac mumbled to the side.

"Oh, so you find this annoying?" Jo tapped both feet back and forth in a rhythmic pattern.

Mac got ready to open his mouth when the doctor entered. "Alright, let's check your blood pressure then you can leave, because I know you've been itching to." Doctor Robbins immediately wrapped the sphygmomanometer around her arm. "Deep breath,"

Jo obeyed and immediately darted her eyes toward the meter. Doctor Robbins shifted his shadow in the room so she couldn't read it and she sat back. "One-forty-seven over ninety-six." The doctor scribbled the numbers down on his chart and unwrapped the meter.

"Alright then, all done; let's go Mac." Jo jumped off the bed and went for her jacket.

"Hold up there; is that good or bad doc?" Mac said, holding Jo's hand.

"Well it's a little high but that could be temporary. Do you have any major stress factors Mrs. Taylor?" Doctor Robbins held up his pen, signaling Jo that her appointment wasn't quite over.

Jo sighed. "I'm a cop, stress comes with the job; there's no avoiding that."

"Well you're going to have to try because we can't risk the baby's health if your blood pressure gets higher."

"I know, I know." Jo mumbled.

Mac stepped forward. "Don't worry; I can take care of that." Jo eyed him, knowing what he meant by that.

"Good, I will see you in four weeks."

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_Sixteen weeks_

Jo rubbed her hand over her flat stomach in the mirror. She sighed heavily and pulled her shirt down.

"What's the matter, babe?" Mac came into the bedroom and wrapped his arms around her stomach.

"I'm already sixteen weeks and I look like I'm not pregnant at all, though the symptoms are definitely still there." Jo covered her mouth, feeling another wave of nausea.

"I know, but Doctor Robbins said not to worry; everything else, excluding your blood glucose, is perfectly normal. Besides, I thought you'd be happy you aren't showing."

"Oh yeah…" Jo recalled when she and Mac were reading a pregnancy book and it mentioned a weight gain. Jo was furious she wouldn't have her perfect form for nine months plus two to six months afterward. "Still…I have nothing to show off. Do you know how awkward it is to tell people 'I'm pregnant!' and no proof?"

Mac half laughed to himself. "Okay, I understand but hey, when we go for your next checkup we'll get an ultrasound of the baby so you have something to show off." Mac kissed her on the neck. "For now, let's get some sleep, okay?"

At just the mention of the word, Jo yawned loudly. She nodded her head before falling on the bed into a deep slumber.

.

.

.

Mac rolled over to find Jo still fast asleep. He wrapped his arm over her waist to find a large bump in his way. "Jo, baby, wake up…"

Jo rubbed at her eyes and turned to Mac. "Hmp…"

"You might want to look in the mirror." Mac rubbed his hand over her belly. Jo pushed the sheets back to find her stomach had practically exploded overnight.

She jumped out the bed and ran to the mirror. "What the hell?" Mac laughed at the edge of the bed. Turning to the side and pulling up her shirt, Jo exclaimed, "Was that there yesterday?"

Mac shook his head, still laughing. "No, no it wasn't." He got up and wrapped Jo in his embrace. "Happy now; you have some proof."

Jo smiled brightly. "You know what this means right?" She turned to face Mac, her stomach taking up the space between them.

"Uh, no…but I have a feeling I'm not going to like it." Mac had an idea where this conversation was going and it would definitely end up costing him…a lot.

"Shopping trip!"

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.

.

Jo stared at the shirt waiting for her vision to return. All day she'd been having trouble seeing straight. There was no explanation but Jo blamed it on the pregnancy, like all her other symptoms; excessive sleeping, morning and evening sickness, and the need to "powder her nose" every ten minutes.

"You okay, hon?" Lindsay asked, placing her hand on Jo's shoulder.

Jo shook her head trying to make her vision return to normal. "Yeah, I'm fine…I think."

"You think? What's going on? Is it the baby?" Lindsay's eyes darted from Jo's face to her belly.

"I don't think so. I mean I always have to go to the bathroom and I'm always thirsty or exhausted." Jo rubbed her temple.

"Honey, those tend to be symptoms of pregnancy. I'm sure you're fine."

"Okay, what about my blurry vision? I know that's not normal."

Lindsay gaped at Jo. There was no explaining that. Then Lindsay remembered something she'd read about while she was pregnant with Lucy. "Jo, do you remember what your blood glucose level was at your last checkup?"

Jo squinted at Lindsay. _What does that have to do with anything?_ "Uh, yeah…it was…one hundred-nineteen something I think. Linds, what does that have to do with this?"

"Jo, we need to get you to the hospital, now."

**A/N: aren't you glad i posted all three chapters? now you dont have to wait to see what happens when Lindsay rushes Jo to the hospital...**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: and welcome to the 2nd trimester...enjoy please R&R**

Chapter 12

_Twenty weeks_

"Gesta-what?" Jo and Mac asked simultaneously in the exam room of the hospital.

"It's a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy. Basically it means the glucose in your body, which is used for energy, isn't being broken down and converted to energy causing your blood glucose level to rise. The test I gave you at your last appointment, four weeks ago, was a glucose screening test; it tests to see how well your body processes sugar. Usually I'd give this test at twenty-four weeks but seeing as you have a family history of diabetes, I ran it earlier. Now your blood sugar level was fairly high, but that was expected with your _bizarre_ eating habits." Doctor Robbins knew that Jo was big on sweets and junk food and found it a miracle she hadn't developed diabetes earlier in her lifetime. "The test we ran today just confirmed my suspicions; you have gestational diabetes."

The couple frowned. "What will that do to the baby?" Jo asked, instinctively holding one hand over her stomach. As if her pregnancy wasn't hard enough with her previous miscarriage and older age, now this had to happen.

"It's possible your baby could be born bigger than the average weight, they could develop jaundice, hypoglycemia, diabetes, or respiratory problems. It's also possible that you could develop diabetes after the baby is born." Doctor Robbins paused, seeing the extremely worried expressions on Jo and Mac's faces. "However, you can avoid this if you keep your blood sugar levels in check and follow a healthy diet plan."

Though Jo usually frowned upon anything even remotely healthy, if her baby's life was on the line she'd do anything to fix it.

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.

.

"OH! You're SO busted!" Ellie called as she came into the kitchen.

Jo was standing on a stool, just inches away from a box of s'mores pop tarts. After her last visit to the hospital, Mac had tossed almost every sugar and junk food in the house. He restocked the house with fruits, vegetables, lean meats and proteins, and whole grains. He even went as far to take out the milk they had and replace it with soy milk. It would be an understatement to say Jo was pissed.

Even if the baby hadn't been messing with her emotions, she would have cried when Mac took every sweet she had hidden in the house and threw it in the trash. Mac, not wanting to be a total jerk, kept a box of pop tarts and a new tub of UTZ cheese puffs. Of course, they went on the top shelf of the highest cabinet in the house where Jo couldn't reach. After just a week of her new diet, Jo was craving sweets. She wanted ice cream and French fries and marshmallows and everything Mac took from her.

"Dammit…" Jo said, stepping off the stool. "Please, please, please don't tell Mac!" she begged Ellie.

"Mom, you know you're not supposed to be eating sweets. The doctor said so!" Ellie crossed her arms over chest in a matter-of-fact manner. "I'm telling!"

"No! Please don't tell dad! It was only one pop tart! It's not going to kill me! You want mommy to be happy don't you?"

Ellie covered her ears and hummed over Jo. "Dad told me not to listen to you! I'm so telling on you! You're gonna get in trouble!" Ellie stretched out each word in a sing-song tone.

"Curse you Mac!" Jo shouted over Ellie. She noticed Ellie had squeezed her eyes shut and was marching around the condo humming. Jo smiled devilishly as she stepped back up on the stool and reached for the tub of cheese puffs. It was just out of her grasp and she proceeded to pull it forward with a ladle. She was just about to reach for it when Ellie hollered, "Mom!" The tub of cheese puffs went crashing to the ground just as Mac entered the door.

"Josephine Marie Danville Taylor, what do you think you're doing?" Mac said firm but calm.

"I…uh…was…" Jo stammered, caught red-handed.

"Ooooo, you're in trouble…" Ellie giggled from behind the breakfast bar.

"Ellie, go to your room." Mac stated.

"Aww, darn." Ellie pouted and marched back into her room.

Mac stood in front of Jo, his arms crossed over his chest. "Would you like to tell me what you were doing?"

Jo smiled meekly, but Mac kept an unrelenting face. "I'm sorry." Jo stepped off the stool, now a good six inches shorter than Mac without her shoes. "I hate this diet! I need my sugar; can't I just have one little cheese ball?"

Mac shook his head and grinned. "I know this is hard but you have to think about the baby." Mac held his hands against Jo's expanding belly. "We want it to be healthy, right?"

Jo simply nodded her head, feeling tears welling up in her eyes. It wasn't an especially tear-jerking moment but her damn hormones had her mood all over the place. "I just want some sugar!" Jo said sobbing erratically.

"I know…" Mac rubbed Jo's back as he embraced her.

"It's not fair! Why me? I just had to get diabetes and you took all my sweets away! I hate you!" Jo was still crying dramatically.

Mac was half laughing at what the pregnancy was doing to his wife's emotions. "Sure you do, babe…sure you do."

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_Twenty-four weeks_

Jo sniffled and sobbed as she stared down at her toothpaste. "Mac…" She whined from the bathroom.

Mac rolled over in the bed and sighed. _Not again…can I just have one morning without tears or threats?_ "Yes, dear…"

"My…my toothpaste cap…i-is dry…" She said between sobs.

Mac stared at the ceiling. _Are you freaking kidding me? She woke me up for _this_? Oh, my god…this pregnancy is going to be the end of me… _"Jo, it's just toothpaste. What do you want me to do about it?"

Jo sniffled again, trying to hold back her unnecessary tears. "Come…come clean it…please…" She stood at the bathroom door, eyes red and wet, holding the bottle of toothpaste.

Mac sighed heavily and practically fell flat on the floor as he rolled out of bed. He quickly wiped off the dried toothpaste with the corner of his t-shirt and handed it back to her. "Happy now?" He asked groggily. Jo bit her lip and nodded.

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.

Jo cried excessively as she stood at the door. Mac sighed again and rubbed his temples. It was only seven in the morning and Jo had already had four "episodes". She whined about her toothpaste, she cried when her food was too cold, then again when her shirt didn't fit over her bump. Now she was at it again over Mac could only guess what. "Jo, calm down honey. What's the matter now?" He struggled to make his voice sound sweet and soothing.

"M-my…my jacket….i-is t-too small…" She stretched out the last word as she cried again. "I-I'm so…f-f-fat!" The tears were pouring now and Mac could only rub her arms in attempt to comfort her.

"You're not fat, it's just the baby." Mac tried. He never really knew what to say when she got like this. Anything could set her off as just about anything could make her relax.

Jo sobbed more, hiccupping at the lost of breath. When she finally calmed she stared blankly at Mac. He smiled, hiding his confusion. "Are you okay?"

Buttoning up her jacket, Jo smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine. Let's go."

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.

.

"Uh, Mac?" Danny knocked cautiously on Mac's office door. He'd noticed his boss had been on edge lately; less joking and focused; more curt and isolated.

"What?" Mac asked bluntly, not even bothering to look up from his desk.

"Um, Jo is crying in the break room-"

"Again? Now what is it?" That was the third time that day. Jo's out-of-control hormones were driving Mac up a wall. He wasn't sure how much he could take. "Never mind, I'll figure it out for myself." Mac swiftly marched down the hall to the break room. He could see through the glass walls Lindsay trying to comfort Jo.

He was about to walk in when Lindsay spotted him and darted out the room. "If you want to live, do. Not. Go. In. There." Lindsay narrowed her eyes and blocked the door.

Mac stared confused at her. "What happened?"

"I don't even know, she won't tell me." Lindsay glanced back into the room. Jo had her back to them but Lindsay could see her wipe her eyes. "All I got was; 'Mac', 'baby', 'hate', and 'fat.'" Lindsay giggled slightly at the last word, remembering her own pregnancy. She immediately stopped when she saw the still stoic yet puzzled expression on his face.

"Well, can you talk to her for me? I have a feeling she's already pissed at me and I don't want to add to her hostility when I tell her something later." Mac ran his hand through his hair. He could feel the nervousness creeping through his veins.

"Yeah, sure. Is something wrong though? What do you need to tell her?" Lindsay searched Mac's chocolate eyes for an answer she knew he wouldn't give her.

"Don't worry about it, Linds; but uh, if you hear a loud crash and Jo runs out of my office; don't hesitate to call nine-one-one."

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.

.

Jo stormed into Mac's office; rage radiating from her. She screamed loudly as she slammed the door behind her. "I…oh, my god…" Jo stammered as she began pounding around the small office. She half screamed, half yelled again. "This is bullshit!" Her pace slowed ever so slightly when she felt a pain in her side.

Mac just stared from his desk, his eyes bugging out and his body frozen in place. "Um, Jo, honey…" Mac coughed, hoping he wasn't walking into a mine field. "What's the matter?"

Jo threw her hands in the air and groaned loudly. She took one look at Mac and burst into tears. She covered her face and Mac rushed over to hold her in his arms. She cried uncontrollably into his shirt, soaking it to the bone. When she finally stopped she looked up in his chocolate swirls, expecting that warm, loving, soothing voice to envelop her.

"I think you should sit down,"

_Wait, what? That's not what you're supposed to say, you idiot! _Jo mentally slapped Mac, as she sat down on the futon.

Mac nervously wrung his hands, trying to find a nice way of putting it. At this rate, there wasn't a nice way. He knew anything could set her off and he didn't know how he would handle it if she freaked out. He was already worried about the baby's health if her heart rate got too fast, but letting Jo continue to work in her condition could cause more problems.

"Jo, I want you to take your maternity leave." Mac flinched back, expecting Jo to hit him or throw something at him.

"Okay."

"I know you want to continue working but your hormones are way out of control which is interfering with everyone's work and you can barely walk as it is, plus you'll be able to handle this diabetes better if you don't have to find time to eat and I know you'll be less stressed which means both you and the baby will be more relaxed and I don't have to worry about either of your health if I know Tyler or Ellie is-" Mac stopped realizing Jo had already replied. "Wait, what did you say?"

Jo smirked. "I said; okay."

"Okay?" Mac was stunned. _What happened to all the excessive crying or whining or anger or…._something_? _

"Yes, okay. My hormones are way out of control which is messing with everybody's job. I can't stand walking and waddling around for more than ten minutes, so I think my feet will be grateful for the time off. Plus, that'll make me less stressed which is good for the baby, and even better I can handle this diet thing easier since I won't have to worry about when I'll have time to eat next."

Mac just stared back at her. Jo waved her hand in front of his face. "What?"

_That's exactly what I just told you! Are you kidding me? Damn hormones…_ "Nothing, let's get you home."

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.

_Twenty-eight weeks_

"Twenty for girl."

"No way, I say thirty for boy."

"I'll be the risk taker and say forty for twins."

Lindsay, Danny, and Don placed their bets in the break room. Jo and Mac had just left for Jo's next prenatal appointment where they would finally find out the sex of the baby. When Jo announced this to the team, she'd unintentionally set forth another bet among them. Adam refused to be a part of it this time around after the repercussions of the first bet they made on Jo and Mac's relationship. Adam was already afraid of Jo; he didn't want to know what hormone-unbalanced, sugar-deprived, pregnant Jo could do to him.

"Really Don; twins? Jo is big but she's not _that_ big!" Lindsay teased, writing his name down on her notepad next to 'twins-forty'.

"I know, I know, but like I said; I wanted to be the risk taker." He took a sip from his coffee.

"Whatever risk taker; I'll play it safe with just one kid. Jo's carryin' kinda low so I say boy." Danny repeated Don's motion.

"You only say boy because that's what you wanted when I was pregnant." Lindsay wrote Danny's name next to 'boy-thirty'.

"Oh, come on, you know that's not true!" Lindsay raised an eyebrow at him. "Okay, maybe a little."

Lindsay smacked him on the arm. "That's what I thought, Messer. I think it's a girl; either way Lucy will have a friend to play with." Lindsay smiled, imagining her daughter and Jo's daughter having the same relationship she and Jo shared.

Danny and Don scoffed. "Chicks…" They said simultaneously.

Lindsay grinned. "Whatever, I'm gonna go ask Sid and Hawkes if they want in. Just adds more money to my pocket when I win…"

.

.

.

_THUMP. THUMP. THUMP. _

Mac flashed a huge grin when he heard his baby's heartbeat again. "Still strong and steady…"

"Looks like it's still in good health; would you like to know the sex so you don't have to keep referring to it as an 'it'?" The nurse asked, still rubbing gel over Jo's abdomen.

"Yes!" Jo and Mac said excitedly. They unconsciously leaned closer to the screen.

The nurse looked at it for a moment before turning back to Mac and Jo. "It's a girl."

"Are you sure?" Mac asked, still excited.

"Yes, look for yourself. Nothing sticking out but her fingers, toes and nose."

Everyone laughed at the crude joke. "She's beautiful…just like her mommy." Mac said, placing a kiss on Jo's forehead.

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.

.

Jo slowly waddled up the sidewalk after Mac. They had just left the doctor's and Mac was dropping her off at home for a surprise.

"You wanna tell me what this surprise is, Mac Taylor?" Jo asked a good ten paces behind him.

"If I did, it wouldn't be a surprise. You wanna walk a little faster, Jo Taylor?" Mac smirked when Jo glared at him.

"How about you try carrying an extra thirty pounds with swollen feet and an aching back?" Jo was half serious.

Mac just laughed. He waited until she was at the door to push it open.

"SURPRISE!" A huge shout nearly knocked Jo off her feet.

"What the…Mac….you didn't?" Jo walked into the condo where Lindsay, her sister Arianna, and a large group of her friends greeted her.

"Well, you never had a baby shower for Tyler and Ellie so I figured you deserved one now." He quickly kissed her on the cheek before everyone waded over to hug Jo and admire her ever-growing belly. Jo mouthed a 'thank you' over her shoulder before she disappeared into the crowd.

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.

.

"If one more person had touched my belly, I would have shot them." Jo half joked in the kitchen. The baby shower had ended and everyone except Lindsay and Arianna had gone home. They had graciously offered to clean up while Jo got some snacks.

"Luckily I took your service weapon away…" Mac said, handing her a cup of water; about the only thing other than orange juice and soy milk that she was allowed to drink.

"Doesn't mean I don't have others lying around the house…" Jo said with a smirk.

"What do you want us to do with the gifts, hon?" Arianna asked from the living room. She was holding up a few outfits, neutral colors of course.

"Just leave 'em, I'll put 'em away when we get the baby's room situated." Jo hollered back, her southern accent dripping with every word.

"Whoa! Where did that come from?" Mac asked, his expression showing astonished.

"Oh, be quiet. This happens every time I get 'round family." Jo cursed inside her head for letting her accent slip again.

"I've got to invite your sister over more often because that's adorable." Mac laughed.

Jo glared at him again. "I hate you."

"Aw, I hope she has an accent like that." Mac gestured to her stomach. "That would be such cute baby talk."

"Urgh! No! This darn thang, just go away!" Lindsay and Arianna laughed with Mac from the living room.

"Wait, did you say 'she'?" Lindsay had finally registered Mac's sentence. "It's a girl?"

Jo blushed. "Yes…and I pray to God she sounds nothing like me! If I'm lucky she'll have a New York accent."

"So you want the baby to sound like Danny?" Lindsay teased.

"Oh wait…never mind!" The gang laughed until Lindsay had yet another thought.

"Oh! I gotta call Danny and Don!" She whipped out her phone. "Hey Danny, you might want to stop by the bank tonight…you owe me thirty bucks!"

Mac, Jo, and Arianna stared at each other puzzled.

Lindsay continued on the phone. "And tell Don I want my forty…love you too, but you still owe me." Lindsay promptly hung up the phone.

Jo glared at her, finally able to piece the puzzle together. "You guys made another bet? Really?"

Lindsay laughed. "Yes and you," Lindsay pointed to Jo's stomach. "just made me seventy dollars richer. I like this kid already."

**A/N: you'd think Linds would learn her lesson from the first bet...oh well! looks like little A- i mean Jo and Mac's baby is pretty lucky...only one more trimester...please R&R**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: :( awww it's the last trimester...but we finally get to meet the baby! oh and i owe credit to all my friends for letting me use their names in this chapter :) enjoy and please R&R**

Chapter 13

_Thirty-two weeks_

"Valerie?"

"Nicole."

"Savannah?"

Jo lay in Mac's lap on the couch while Ellie and Tyler sat on the floor in front of the TV. Jo had a legal sized notepad in her lap and was writing down names. After finally finding out the sex of the baby, they'd taken some time every night to figure out a name for her. After four weeks, they had nothing.

"I don't like any of those." Jo said. It was mostly her fault they hadn't picked a name yet. Tyler, Ellie, and Mac had thrown nearly a thousand names at her and she'd denied every single one.

"If you keep this up, her name will be blank." Mac said, tossing his head back.

"Yeah, mom, just pick something. Not like she's going to disagree with you." Tyler joked.

"Obviously not, but I want her name to be special. I can't just give her any random name. A lot of thought went into you and Ellie's names so she deserves the time." Jo said, crossing another group of names off her list.

"I highly doubt you spent over four weeks just picking our names…" Ellie mumbled.

"Excuse me?"

"Yeah, they're so common; Tyler and Ellie, like you really thought so hard about those." Tyler crossed his arms over his chest.

"I did and back then your names weren't as common."

"Yeah whatever…" Tyler and Ellie mumbled at the same time.

"Okay, what about Stephanie?" Mac offered.

"Too common!" Tyler and Ellie shouted.

Mac raised his hands in surrender. "Sorry! I don't see you two coming up with any names, or you, Jo." He nudged her arm.

"Fine, fine…" They all stared up at the ceiling for a moment.

Jo wanted something sentimental for her daughter's name. She had been a miracle and meant so much to her and Mac. Her name had to be just as amazing.

"Evelyn." Jo announced, scribbling it on the paper.

"That sounds like an old lady, mom. Can't we pick something else?" Ellie whined.

"No, we're keeping it." Jo stated firmly. Tyler, Mac, and Ellie could tell from her tone of voice that the name was staying whether they liked it or not.

"Alright, well why don't we use it for a middle name?" Mac bargained. He didn't particularly like the name either but he wasn't about to argue about it. It obviously meant something to Jo.

Jo shrugged and nodded her head. "Okay, but we still need a first name. Something Evelyn Danville Taylor."

"That's a mouthful right there." Mac joked.

"I know, at least she'll know when she's in trouble." Jo joked back. "Come on, we have to find a name." Jo sat up, her hand holding the pen against the pad.

"Alexis, Elizabeth, Jackie, Audrey,"

"Vivian, Natalie, Jennifer, Shannon, Laura,"

"Zoe, Carly, Hailey, Anna, Susan, Maria,"

"No to all of that." Jo shook her head.

After another two hours, Ellie and Tyler had headed off to bed and Mac was still calling off names. "Um…Sarah, Angela, Brittany, Kimberly, Samantha, Lena, Alison, Michelle,"

"No…" Jo yawned.

"Alright, I'm out of names. We've practically gone through every name invented." Mac rubbed his eyes, trying to keep them open.

"I know, but none of them are right."

"What about Mackenzie?"

"Mac, you've asked that four times already. For the last time; WE'RE NOT NAMING THE BABY AFTER YOU."

"Alright, alright! Geez, just asking…you know what? We're both tired. Let's get some sleep and hopefully her name will come to us."

Jo yawned again. "I hope so."

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.

.

_Thirty-six weeks_

Jo snored peacefully strewn across her new 'S' shaped pregnancy pillow. Danny had all but pleaded Mac not to buy it. He recalled thoughts of being replaced by the thing when Lindsay was pregnant. He was pushed off the bed multiple times and tried to save Mac from the same fate. Mac had honestly considered not buying it but all Jo had to do was give him the puppy dog face with her pouty lip and big brown eyes and Mac broke. Now Mac was laying freezing to death next to her, as Jo had stolen all the sheets from him. He didn't mind though; he was gently tracing the small smile on her face.

_She's so peaceful. She looks like an angel that fell from heaven. _

Jo stirred slightly and kicked the sheets, pulling them off to reveal her large bump. Mac rubbed her belly gently and received a kick in response.

"Well, hello there," He whispered to her. "Do you know who I am? I'm your daddy." Mac felt another kick, stronger that time. "You sure are strong, sweetheart." Mac sighed and rolled onto his back, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Daddy…" He thought out loud. "I'm going to be a father. I never thought I'd say those words. I never thought I'd be laying here with Jo, let alone pregnant Jo…God, I hope I'm ready for this. I hope she likes me. What am I saying? I'm her father; of course she'll like me…right?"

Mac turned back to Jo's belly. "Hi, sweetie," He placed his hand on Jo's stomach just in time to feel her kick again. "I can't wait to meet you. You're going to love your big brother and sister, and your mommy. I bet you look just like her. I hope you'll like me too. I want to give you the world angel." Mac kissed her stomach again. "I love you."

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_Forty weeks_

"OH MY GOD, GET THIS THING OUT OF ME!" Jo hollered in the hospital room. She gripped Tyler's hand for dear life as he stood a yard away. He kept inching away further trying to pull his hand free.

"Oh my god, mom let go!" He tugged at his hand again but Jo gripped it tight.

"Nooooooo…." Jo squeezed it again as another contraction hit. Tyler swore he felt a tear run down his cheek.

"Seriously, mom, you have to let go so I can call Mac." Tyler yanked his hand again to no avail.

"Just use…your other…hand." Jo relaxed again and rested against the pillow. Tyler pulled his hand and finally it released from Jo's steel hold.

"Thank god…now just to get feeling back in it." He shook his hand furiously then pulled out his phone.

"Mac,"

"Mac? It's Tyler,"

"Yeah, what do you need? Or should I say, what does Jo want?" He chuckled softly.

"Um, she went into labor…we're at the hospital-"

"Oh, shit! I'm on my way now! Tell her I'll be there as soon as possible." Mac slammed his phone shut and jumped out his chair. He darted out his office and practically flew to the elevator. Pounding on the down button, Mac impatiently waited for the doors to open. Just as Danny called his name, Mac hopped in the elevator.

"Hey, boss! Where ya goin'? We got a case?" Danny sprinted to try to catch up to him before the doors closed.

The doors began sliding as Mac shouted, "Jo! Labor!"

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.

.

"HOLY SHIT, MOM! LET GO!" Jo had grabbed Tyler's hand for support again and she was gripping even tighter as her contractions drew closer.

"TYLER, WATCH YO-OOOOOOO HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!" Jo screamed in agony again.

Tyler screamed right along with her as he thought to himself, '_Mac, you'd better hurry up because if mom doesn't kill you, I will!'_

Mac burst into the room. "I'm here!"

Taylor bit out sarcastically. "This isn't elementary school. We know you're here; now get over here and take her hand behind she rips off mine!"

He quickly obliged and took Jo's other hand as she released Tyler's. Tyler sped out of the room, grateful to be rid of that torture. Mac leaned in to kiss Jo and she placed her hand over his face. "Kiss me and die, Mac Taylor."Mac backed away slowly. He couldn't even tell if she was serious or not anymore.

Tears rolled down Jo's face and Mac gently brushed them away. "I'm sorry, honey," Jo said, slightly calmer. "I love you. I'm so glad you're here."

"I love you too…" Mac winced as she squeezed his hand tighter. "Damn, that's a grip…" His voice cracked slightly.

"This is all your fault! You did this to me! I hate you, Mac!" Jo's emotions flipped again and she cried even harder.

Mac didn't say anything. He brushed her hair from her face and offered soothing words between her verbal abuses.

Finally the nurses and Doctor Robbins entered the room.

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.

.

"Lindsay, Flack, Adam, let's go!" Danny burst into the break room, startling everyone.

"Go where? What's up Danny?" Don asked, slowly rising from his seat.

"Jo went into labor, come on!" Danny waved them out of the break room and they rushed to their cars.

They each broke a long list of traffic laws as they sped down the road to the hospital. Lindsay practically tucked and rolled out of Danny's car when they arrived. She ran to the reception desk. "Jo Danville?" The guys came barreling in after her and the nurse was frantic looking for Jo's room number.

"Uh, she's on floor…five….room two-twenty. She's still in labor though so you'll have to wait outside." The group nodded and high-tailed it to the fifth floor.

After waiting thirty-eight hours impatiently in the waiting room, Mac burst through the doors. The gang jumped out of their seats expectantly. Mac smiled brightly then said, "She's here!" There was a simultaneous breath of relief as everyone followed Mac to Jo's room.

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.

Jo sat elegantly with her baby wrapped in her arms. She rocked her gently. She looked so perfect and angelic. Only a few hours old and she already looked like the perfect mix of Jo and Mac. The baby had Jo's dark brown locks, puffy pink cheeks, and tiny pointed nose. She got her small, thin lips, dimples, and striking deep brown eyes from Mac. Jo already knew she was going to be a daddy's girl. As soon as the nurse gave her to Mac she giggled and gripped onto his finger. When Mac handed her to Jo, her little eyebrows furrowed and Jo swore she scowled at her.

She slept peacefully now in Jo's arms, holding onto her finger. "Hello angel…I'm so glad you're here…" Jo whispered and kissed her gently. There was a light tap on the door and Mac entered with the team following close behind.

"Hey…" Mac said low, so as not to disturb the baby; his baby. "She still asleep?"

Her little eyes fluttered and she held on tighter to Jo's finger. The team moved in closer and cooed over her.

"Precious…"

"She's beautiful."

"Awwwwww…"

Jo blushed and smiled brightly. "Everyone meet Aurora-Sophia Evelyn Danville Taylor."

**A/N: believe it or not, i did the same thing as Jo at 32 weeks when i was coming up with a name for the baby! it was funny to me so i put it in the story! i think her name is adorable and if you remember who Evelyn is, you have a rockin' memory! dont ask me where Aurora-Sophia came from...it just popped into my head while i was typing! chapter 14 is coming soon! R&R please! **


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: such a lovely story, right? well you can forget that! time to get back to the drama! this is a short chapter but pretty intense as my friends put it! for all of you that said you were enjoying all the sappiness and love and etc PLEASE dont kill me over the next few chapters...my creative mind was BEGGING me to write this... enjoy and R&R please**

Chapter 14

"That's a mouthful, isn't it?" Danny joked about Aurora's name.

"Yeah, I know. Jo's family has this thing for two first names so that's where the Aurora Sophia came from. Evelyn, I don't know; when we were picking names she came up with that and refused to take it off the list. I guess it's someone important to her." Mac shrugged as he shuffled some papers on his desk.

"Why both your last names, though? Jo and Ellie didn't keep Danville when you two got married."

"Actually she did; Ellie's the only one that took my surname. Jo and Tyler kept Danville. Jo wants Aurora to have both surnames so 'she knows when she's in trouble.' If anyone ever saw all our names they'd be utterly confused." Mac smirked and tossed a file into a drawer.

"Whoa, wait; so it's McKenna Boyd Taylor the second, Josephine Marie Danville Taylor, Tyler Danville, Elizabeth 'Ellie' Taylor, and Aurora Sophia Evelyn Danville Taylor?" Danny took a deep breath, emphasizing the long list of names.

"Yeah…now that's a mouthful." Mac opened his drawer again and pulled out the file he'd just tossed into it. He crashed into his chair and rubbed his temples.

"Hey, you good?" Danny asked in his usual stance with his arms crossed over his chest and feet spread apart.

Mac sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Um, yeah…I'm fine."

"You sure; is this about Jo or Aurora?" Danny sat in the chair in front of Mac's desk.

"I wouldn't know where to begin, Danny." Mac leaned back against his chair and raked his hand through his hair.

"Well, you wanna tell me what's going on with Jo first? I haven't seen her since Aurora was born and that was six months ago! I thought she'd be itching to be back by now." Danny leaned forward in his chair, listening intently to Mac.

"That's the problem; she is." Mac breathed heavily again. "We never actually planned on when she would come back to work or who would take care of the baby. I mean it was easy with Ellie; she was okay by herself and Tyler was usually there to take care of her. Now, Tyler's abroad and Ellie can't stay home with Aurora by herself. Jo looks so tired and stressed out but I don't know what to do. She just pushes me away when I try to…"

"Try to what?" Danny leaned in closer.

"Try to help but Jo doesn't call it that. She says I'm just getting in the way." Mac rolled his eyes, irritated from just the thought. "Danny, she complains about being tired and not being able to work then when I want to help she says she's fine! Is it just me or does that not make any sense?" Danny simply nodded his head as Mac continued to spill. "I'm just exhausted…I knew-we knew- this would be hard but…damn. I don't know how much longer I can deal with it."

Danny leaned back in his chair. "I don't even know what to say to that." He rubbed his temple along with Mac. "I guess the best you can do is work through it. And by work through it I don't mean completely avoid Jo by coming here at all hours of the night."

Mac smirked lightly. "I get you. We'll just have to wait and see what happens."

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Jo's bloodshot eyes shot open at the sound of Aurora's cries down the hall. Jo reluctantly rolled off the couch and groggily teetered down the hall. She pushed open the door to the nursery and lifted Aurora into her arms. Aurora's shrieking echoed right into Jo's ears as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Shhhhh, mommy's here." She rubbed Aurora's back gently, trying to soothe her. The cries continued and Jo moved her position in her arms. There was silence for just a second before Aurora continued with her scream fest. Jo sighed and rocked her gently. "Shhhhh…shhhhh…"

Aurora continued to holler waving her little fists in the air. Jo checked her diaper and tried to give her a bottle of milk but Aurora refused. Her lungs were as strong as a lion's; she just wouldn't stop. Jo crashed on the couch, still holding Aurora in her arms. Feeling a migraine creeping up on her Jo laid her head against the edge of the couch. Light tears brimmed her eyes and she wished she could wipe them away. _Why is this so hard? Why do I feel like I'm at the end of my rope?_

Jo was at the end of her rope. She hardly got any sleep with Aurora waking her up every hour, on the hour. Aurora always seemed to be bawling or screaming and Jo just couldn't get her to stop, yet all Mac had to do was look at her and she smiled. It was cute at first but after six months of never-ending, ear-piercing cries and no sleep, it was just infuriating. She hated herself for feeling angry at Mac over it. She wanted him to be around; she needed him, but he wasn't there. He was in the one place Jo desperately wanted to be; work.

When Jo looked down at Aurora, she was fast asleep again. Knowing the baby wouldn't be out for long Jo placed her in her bassinette in the living room and lay back on the couch. Her mind was racing with so many thoughts it wouldn't let her grasp even the slightest of her much needed sleep. Jo felt like she was going to fall over the deep end. She couldn't take it anymore; taking care of Aurora was becoming too much. It was never this hard to take care of Ellie, who was the offspring of a drug addict, nor Tyler, who Jo had to care for with broken bones and a bruised face for three years of his life. Aurora was different; Jo felt like all the torture and horror she'd gone through with Ellie and Tyler was wrapped into one giant stress ball and being thrown at her all over again.

Tears streamed down her face and Jo wiped at them quickly. She was so tired; tired of caring for Aurora, tired of being a mom, tired of being stressed out, tired of just being so damn tired all the time. Jo didn't even feel in her right mind anymore. She was scared to death to be left alone with Aurora; scared of what she would do if one day she just lost it. It felt like that day; the day she would completely lose her mind and just-

"Jo? Honey, I'm back." Mac interrupted her thoughts as he entered the condo. He was finally home from work.

Jo swiped the last few tears from her eyes and leaned over the side of the couch. "Hey, how was work?" She couldn't hide the crack in her voice.

Mac dropped their dinner on the table and ran over to her on the couch. "Hey, what's wrong?" He then noticed her red, puffy eyes and tear lines on her cheeks. "Have you been crying?"

"No, I'm fine; I'm just tired." She said as she shook her head, wishing the obvious signs to disappear.

Looking deeply into her caramel eyes, Mac held her chin. "I know you're lying. Talk to me, Jo. What's the matter?"

When her eyes started to water again, she pushed Mac away and slid off the couch. "I can't take this anymore!" She said as loud as she could, without disturbing Aurora. "I'm stuck at home…all day…" Jo stopped between sobs, trying to catch her breath. She was starting to hyperventilate and all Mac could do was watch her. "Aurora never stops crying or screaming and when she finally falls asleep, she wakes up ten minutes later!" Jo began pacing around the room, gripping her head. "I haven't gotten sleep in weeks because of it and my head feels like a bomb exploded inside!" She gripped her head as the drums pounded against her skull. "I don't want to do this anymore, Mac."

Mac finally rose from the couch, slight anger and confusion rising in him. "Jo, I think you just need to take a breath and calm-"

"Don't tell me to calm down! You don't know what it's like Mac! To be stuck in the same place every day, all the time; hearing the same piercing screams from your child and not being able to do anything about it; to have this feeling that a rock is bouncing around in your head! I…I can't take it!" Jo finally stopped and stared at Mac, searching for something, anything to tell her it was okay.

Mac's face was blanker than a sheet of paper. He didn't know what to say. He didn't even know what he just heard. All he could think was she was blaming him for this; whatever this was. "Jo, I'm sorry but I tried to help you! You keep pushing me away!"

Jo's fury increased. "I did not Mac and you know it! You pushed me away! You just leave every day and go to work! Everything is about your life now and how you want things to be! What about my life; my job; what happened to all that?" The words spilling from Jo's mouth were no longer being processed in the heat of the moment. She didn't even know what she was saying; she just knew she was angry and she just wanted someone to listen. She needed someone to assure her.

"What are you talking about? Believe it or not this isn't what I wanted, Jo! I do want you to be happy but I can't just leave my job to take care of a baby!"

"So now you're saying your job is more important than mine?"

"I'm the boss, Jo! So, yes, my job is more important than yours!" He meant 'no'; he meant 'I'm sorry'; he meant 'we can fix this'; but instead he let his temper get the best of him.

Jo stared astonished at him. "How dare you! My job is just as important as yours! You just want me to stay home and take care of the kids and be inferior to you! I knew this would happen!" Feeling the migraine intensify, Jo gripped her forehead.

"You knew? This is about Russ isn't it? Just because you couldn't trust Russ doesn't mean you can't trust me! This is all about your damn security and trust issues. It always comes back to that! If you didn't really love me then why did we even get married?" Mac knew somewhere deep in his mind it was a low blow but he could care less at the moment. He felt like he wasn't good enough for her anymore, like he was betrayed.

Jo just stared wide-eyed at him. No matter what problems they faced in their marriage she had never once compared him to Russ. Now he had given her reason to. "You bastard…" She said simply. She brushed past the bassinette to storm into her room. It shook slightly which woke up Aurora. The baby didn't waste a second before she was off in her squalling marathon.

Mac was blown away by the power of Aurora's lungs and he accidentally thought out loud, "Now look what you've done!"

Jo felt a sharp twinge run up her spine and she turned sharply on her heel. "SHUT UP; JUST SHUT UP!" Her eyes were full of so many emotions they seemed to be turning black.

The couple glared at each other, their stares seeming to deafen the noise around them. Mac finally relented and grabbed his jacket. "Fine." He marched out the door and slammed it behind him, leaving Jo in total silence.

**A/N: o.O anybody else scared? i swear i frightened myself after writing this... anyway i'll understand if you hate me for what happens in chapter 15... it's coming soon! R&R please**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: oh boy...so, um...there's not much for me to say because i feel so guilty right now...just read the chapter...PLEASE R&R**

Chapter 15

The constant fizz of beer being poured, glasses hitting tables, chips being munched, and bottles being flipped soothed Mac into pure inebriation. He'd immediately rushed over to the local bar to drown his sorrows in alcohol; something Mac would never do if it wasn't for the stress overloading his natural thought. Mac spun the glass on the table watching the clear liquid swirl, dip, and spill over the edge. It was his first drink of many that night. Thoughts of Jo and Aurora and Ellie kept creeping up on him. He wanted to numb his mind so the fight would stop replaying over and over in his head.

Kelly, the bartender and friend of Mac and Jo's, watched him intently. She knew Mac never drank much, not even over some of their toughest cases. Something in his demeanor told her that she'd be serving him frequently that night. It had to be something crazy to send him over the edge. Kelly approached the man cautiously seeing his eyes glazing over as a vein pulsated in his neck. "Mac, hon, what are you doing here so late and by yourself?"

_Because I just got into a huge fight with my wife and I want to drown my sorrows and stupidity in scotch. _"I just needed to get away…" He took a sip from his glass and shook as the warm liquid reddened his cheeks and sent a chill up his spine.

"Away? From what?" Kelly rested her elbows on the bar counter and placed her face in her palms.

Mac eyed her from behind the glass. "Women…" His voice was low and raspy. Taking the hint, Kelly nodded her head and disappeared back down the counter. Mac shook his head and took another sip.

_"Don't tell me to calm down! You don't know what it's like Mac!"_

_ "You pushed me away!"_

_"I'm the boss, Jo! So, yes, my job is more important than yours!"_

_ Damn, I'm an idiot. How did I let this happen? Did I really push Jo away? I didn't even mean to…I love her. I meant to be there for her. How did it get to this?_

A tall brunette with short, curly locks sat just a few seats down from Mac. She wasn't new to town though she hadn't been in the city of New York for quite a few years. While Mac obsessed over Jo, the woman was entangled in her own thoughts.

_Oh, Adrian. I am so sorry. We should have never happened. Why did you have to fall in love with me? You could have had so much better. I just want you to be happy…why can't you just let me go?_

Mac looked up from his glass as he scanned the room. When he saw a familiar face next to him he almost hesitated to call her name. "Stella? Stella Bonasera?"

Stella's eyes widened at the voice; a voice all too familiar to her. She turned to her right to see her former boss smiling back at her. "Mac, hey!" She rose from her seat to hug him. The embrace lasted much longer than it should have and both Mac and Stella were reluctant to pull apart. They finally did and faced each other in the bar stools.

"Wow, it's good to see you again." Mac started. "It's been too long, Stella. How have you been? How's New Orleans and the new team? You're head detective, right? What's it feel like to be the boss now?"

"Whoa, whoa; one question at a time please! New Orleans is beautiful and festive but way too many voodoo cases! I could do without those. The team's great; I've got my hands full though because all but one are rookies. Being boss is okay. It's a bigger work load, especially with these newbies, but I like it." Stella paused to take a drink.

"That's good…but you forgot a question." Mac repeated her motion.

"I didn't forget…I just avoided it…" She took another drink as Mac eyed her suspiciously. "Enough about me; what have you been up to? I miss you and the team."

"Team's been good. Adam is still his quirky self, Flack's doing better, I believe Hawkes has a new girlfriend, and Sid is still…Sid." The two laughed as they took another drink.

"What about Linds and Danny? How's our goddaughter Lucy doing? How old is she now? I especially missed my little angel." Stella's eyes sparkled as she spoke.

"Now who's asking too many questions?" Mac placed his hand on top Stella's on the bar. She glanced down at it but didn't say anything. "The lovebirds are still going strong. Lucy is going into first grade this year. Lindsay is still scared to death about it but after her first day of kindergarten Danny's more calm. I actually laughed at him when he kept calling the school to ask if she was crying for him yet. He said I'd be doing the same thing soon though, so I can't blame him for being a little overprotective." Mac realized belatedly what he'd said and took another sip from his drink.

"Wait, why would you be doing the same thing? What have you been doing since I left?" An eyebrow raised as Stella gave Mac a suspicious gaze.

"Uh, nothing…just got married and had a kid…" Mac spat the words out in one quick breath before taking another drink.

"What? Mac Taylor…got married? And had a kid? That's…great." Stella moved her hand from beneath his and flagged down Kelly for another drink.

"Yeah…" The memories of Mac and Jo's fight flooded Mac's brain again. His eyebrows furrowed in anger and he grabbed another drink to wash away the thoughts.

Stella frowned and looked him in the eyes. "From the sound of your voice, you're not so happy about that."

"From the way you avoided my question earlier, you don't sound so happy about New Orleans." The bosses glared at one another before relenting and taking more drinks. Mac broke the silence between them after awhile. "Think we're drunk enough to actually talk about how much our lives suck now?"

Stella laughed. "Let's see; our words aren't slurring, we're not swaying in our seats, and we haven't had a random mood swing. No, I think I need more alcohol."

"I agree. Kelly," Mac waved his hand at the bar and flagged down the bartender. "Another round please," Turning back to Stella, he asked, "What are you doing in New York anyway?"

Stella opened her mouth to answer but something caught her words. She looked down at the floor as if ashamed. "I just…needed to…get away…"

Mac smiled faintly and held up his glass. "Then we'll escape together."

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The carpet of Mac and Jo's bedroom was worn from Jo pacing over it so many times. Her head was in her hands as she berated herself. She thought aloud, "Stupid, stupid, stupid! Good job, Jo; chased him away. This is exactly what I wanted to avoid! Dammit!" She kicked the side of the bed and shrieked when the space between her toes connected with the metal post. "Ow, ow, ow, fuck!" She bounced around the room, holding her leg up to her chest. When some of the pain subsided Jo fell atop the bed in a heap.

Her stomach churned and her head spun as her mind reeled over the fight. Suddenly she felt guilty. Though she was exhausted and stressed and on the edge, she felt somewhat at fault for not talking to Mac sooner. She knew better; she knew she could have told him. She knew she didn't have to be brave for him; yet she was. She let things get out of control and now her husband was gone, feeling like the villain, when in reality it wasn't his fault at all. It wasn't either of their faults. Jo smirked at the irony when she remembered something Mac had told her months ago.

"_Nothing could ever be your fault; angels are the most innocent of all." _

Jo didn't feel like an angel at that moment. She just felt horrible. "How did it get to this?" She said to herself. "I know; I let it get to this. I let my damn 'wanna-be-brave' attitude get in the way. I should have told him. I should have said something the first time I felt overwhelmed…but no, just had to go and screw everything up…like I always do." She turned into Mac's pillow and hugged it tight. A tear rolled down her cheek when she smelled his calming scent; sandalwood and vanilla extract. "I know what he would say right now…'it's not your fault, Jo. Nothing could ever be your fault.' You're wrong, Mac; this is my fault and I have to fix it." Jumping up off the bed, Jo grabbed her phone off the nightstand and speed dialed Mac's number. She waited impatiently as it rang. "Pick up, pick up, pick up."

"Mac Taylor; leave a message." Jo sighed, hung up, and called again. "Mac Taylor; leave a message."

"Damn…" Jo hung up again and held the phone in her hand. "He probably doesn't even want to talk to me. I'll just let him cool off for the night and talk to him tomorrow." She desperately wanted to assure herself.

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Kelly shook her head in shame as she grabbed more glasses from beneath the counter. "Mac, Stella, I've already served you ten each. I don't even know what the other bartender gave you. Don't you think it's time to head home? Jo is probably worried sick about you." Even as she tried to guilt him into leaving, she placed another glass in front of them.

"Why don't you worry about your customers instead of my home life?" Mac snapped back. Kelly frowned and stomped off down the bar.

Two hours had passed and Mac and Stella were far past intoxicated. Kelly had given up on trying to get them to go home and called them a cab. She switched between watching them intently to checking out the window for the cab to come. The yellow taxi finally pulled up and Kelly rushed over to Mac and Stella. "Guys, I called a cab for you two. I think you need to head home."

Kelly jumped over the bar and grabbed them both by the arm. They were far too drunk to argue and let her drag them to the cab as she tossed them inside. Leaning into the front passenger side window she said to the driver, "Gaylord Hotel," Kelly handed a wad of cash to him.

The man tipped his hat and sped off down the road with his two drunken passengers laughing hysterically behind him. Not even a minute later the driver closed the window between the front of the car and the back. Mac and Stella's drunken conversation was boring him and the alcohol from their breath was floating into the front seat. The cab driver soon pulled up in front of the hotel and handed them to the concierge, who graciously guided the assumed couple to their room.

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The shadows of the room danced around Mac's vision as he unwillingly woke the next morning. The throbbing of his head pushed him back on the bed as he tried to sit up. He went to outstretch his arms until he realized there was another body lying next to him. Thinking Kelly had driven him home to Jo, Mac turned to the figure. He gently brushed back her hair and kissed her gently on the forehead. "Morning angel,"

The person stirred lightly and groggily looked up at Mac. She mumbled something incoherent and pulled the sheets up over her head. A soft laugh escaped Mac as he tugged at the sheets. "Hey, I'm sorry about last night. I shouldn't have just left. I should have stayed and listened to you." He pulled the sheets back to reveal Stella's thick curly locks sprawled over her face. "Oh, my God!" Hopping off the bed, Mac landed near the room door. "Oh, my God; oh, my God; oh my- What have I done?" His hands moved from his bare chest to his head.

Stella, still suffering from her hangover, moved slowly under the sheets. When her eyes finally opened she was shocked to find Mac naked and frantically pacing the room. "What the hell?" She jumped off the bed to the other side of the room near the window. Belatedly she realized she had no clothes on and wrapped the sheets around her. "Mac…what…what the hell happened last night?" Pinching the bridge of her nose, Stella tried to balance herself. They were both still unsteady from the night before and all their moving around all of a sudden was not helping.

"I don't even remember. Do you?" Mac had grabbed his boxers and was still a mile away from Stella.

"If I did I wouldn't be asking you what happened, now would I?" She snapped back. "Oh, God, this isn't happening."

"You think? Stella, I'm married!"

"And I have a fiancé!"

"What?" It was news to him, as far as he could remember. She might have told him but with all the alcohol they drank he wouldn't remember if she had.

"Dammit! I can't believe this! Did we really-"

"I don't know! All I remember is seeing you at the bar and then waking up here! Please tell me this didn't happen! This couldn't have happened!" There was a bang on the wall from their next door neighbor.

"Keep it down in there! You two were loud enough last night!"

With wide eyes Mac and Stella stared at one another. They could barely form a sentence and both grabbed their clothes and got dressed. Mac was quick to gather his things and high-tail it out of the room. Without another thought of the night's events he grabbed a cab and headed back to the bar.

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Next door, two college students lay in separate beds in their hotel room. The blond haired one turned to the red head and said, "Dude, did you hear those two? They actually think they went at it last night!"

The red head replied, "You didn't help when you told them they were loud enough last night! They were totally chill. I didn't hear a nose from them all night."

The blond one snickered. "Yeah, I know, but just think how they're freaking out right now!" He laughed hysterically.

"Think we should tell 'em we're just joshin'?"

"Nah, nobody's gonna get hurt."

**A/N: now you see why i felt guilty! Mac is WAY OOC! I absolutely had to write this though, the idea just came to me and i couldn't waste it! if anyone's confused: NO, Mac did NOT sleep with Stella! you didn't really think i would do that, did you? let's just see how this plays out...chapter 16 is coming soon...PLEASE R&R**

**A/N: sorry if you got an alert like ten times earlier saying i uploaded this chapter but you couldn't get to it! i seriously have no idea what's wrong with this thing, it just refused to let me upload this chapter! luckily it's working now!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: i apologize before hand that the next couple chapters move kind of slow. some great ideas came to me and unfortunately they didnt all fit in one or two chapters :/ enjoy and please R&R**

**A/N2: oh and sorry i didnt update yesterday, i was out all day and because of the issue with chapter 15 i wanted to wait until you had time to read it :) enjoy **

Chapter 16

_What have I done? How could I let this happen? Jo…will never forgive me! I promised her I would never hurt her and now…look what I've done! This will break her heart. This is breaking my heart! I have to tell her…I have to be honest but…she'll leave me. There's no way in hell she'd forgive me for this. I can't tell her. I can't lose her. _

Mac was still lost in his mind as he over-tipped the cab driver and reached his car. A stranger passing on the street would call him insane as he looked so lost. He was mumbling to himself about Jo and his eyes looked in no particular direction. He was just there; there on earth wishing he was six feet under. He thought to himself that that would be where he'd end up once he told Jo.

Before he realized it, Mac had driven himself home and was sitting in his car out front the condo. He stared at the home, seeing every memory that had taken place inside.

_I don't deserve that. I don't deserve to have this beautiful family and amazing wife. I can't believe I let this happen. I told Jo I loved her and that I would protect her. I meant protect her from fear and pain and Russ…but who's going to protect her from me?_

Pounding on the steering wheel, Mac tried to release some of his anger.

_You dumbass! You went and ruined everything because you let your emotions get the best of you! How could I let this happen? I'm going to lose my wife and daughters and everything I live for. All over one big stupid mistake! I can't tell Jo. She'd never forgive me and I can't live with that. But I can't live with not telling her either. We based our marriage on trust and honesty. I wouldn't be lying if I didn't tell her though…no, I would. I don't want to lose her though…not Jo, not Ellie, not Aurora. Dammit! _

Mac jumped out the car and kicked the door shut. Breathing in deeply, he calmed himself before entering the condo. He wasn't surprised to see Ellie and Aurora at the breakfast bar. He wasn't there that morning to drive Ellie to school so it became Jo's task. His presence was still unknown to the family and he was able to sneak into the bedroom without being heard.

"Mac!" Jo hollering his name scared the daylights out of him.

"Uh, hey..." Coming out of the bathroom, Jo ran over to kiss him. Mac, feeling guilty, turned his head at the last second.

Not noticing, Jo smiled brightly. "Where were you? I tried to call you but you didn't answer."

"I, uh…I went to the bar. I'm sorry, I turned my phone off." Mac unwrapped Jo's arms around his neck and moved to his closet. The smell of alcohol was still hanging on his breath and he couldn't stand to look at Jo after the night before.

"Oh…" Guilt rushed into Jo's thoughts again. "Look, about last night…"

Luckily for Mac, he was facing away from Jo and she couldn't see the panicked expression on his face. Reminding himself that she didn't know what happened, he quickly calmed himself. "Jo, I-"

"No, listen; I'm sorry." Jo wrung her hands as she began her apology. It shocked Mac and he felt another wave of guilt wash over him for letting her apologize. Jo continued, "I should have told you that I felt so stressed and overwhelmed instead of keeping it inside. I knew I could have talked to you but I was afraid. You know I always try to be brave and I forgot that I don't have to be that way with you. I'm so sorry for making you feel like it was your fault. You really did try to help and I appreciate that. Will you forgive me?"

Tears welled in his eyes. _Now I really wish I was dead._ "Of course." The words were flat and monotone and Mac still had his back to Jo. "You shouldn't be apologizing though…" He whispered to himself.

"Great! I also have some good news for all of us. I'll tell you in the kitchen after you get dressed. I love you." Jo kissed him on the cheek before she left the room.

The words almost threw Mac into oblivion. _No, Jo…please don't say that…you don't want to love me. I just ruined your life and you deserve far better than me. _He furiously got dressed, flinging his clothes on the floor and slamming the closet door. Mac hated himself for what he did and what he just let happen. He should have spoken up; he shouldn't have let her apologize for last night. It would only make things worse when he had to explain to her how the man that promised to love and care for her, the man she loved and adored, just turned on her. He did the one thing he promised he never would; he hurt her.

Mac dragged his feet into the kitchen, standing next to Aurora's highchair. "So what did you want to tell me?" His voice was low and quick as if he didn't want to speak. It felt like he was digging himself further into a hole the more he spoke. Every word felt like a lie; as if he hadn't betrayed his wife enough already.

Jo carried the two bowls of cereal to Ellie and Aurora. "Actually I wanted to tell everyone that I found a babysitter for Aurora! Actually Lindsay did; she gave me the number for the young lady that babysat Lucy." She was obviously ecstatic about the news but the faces of Ellie and Mac showed stoic. "Okay, maybe that's not so exciting to you two…three," She tickled Aurora. "but this means I can finally go back to work today so I'm excited."

Aurora flipped the bowl of dry cereal, spilling cheerios all over the highchair. "Now that would normally bother me but as I don't have to deal with that anymore I'm going to let it slide." Aurora shrieked as drool covered cheerios stuck to her fingers and cheeks.

"That's great…I have to get to work." Mac stated flatly as Jo and Ellie cooed over Aurora.

"Oh, honey can you drop Ellie off at school?" Jo asked. "I would have but I woke up late and I have to wait for the babysitter to get here before I leave."

"Yeah, I'll be waiting in the car." He grabbed his jacket and quickly strode out the door.

Ellie and Jo stared at each other questioningly. "Uh, is it just me or is dad acting kind of…weird? More than usual, that is."

"He's probably just tired from last night. Hurry up and get your stuff." Jo kissed her on the cheek as she picked up Aurora out of her seat. "I'll see you later; love you."

"Yeah, yeah, love you too, mom."

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"Ready to go?" Mac asked as Ellie slid into the front seat.

"Yeah, are you okay?" Just like Jo, Ellie didn't waste time on dancing around the topic. She was blunt and to-the-point.

"I'm fine, sweetheart. Why do you ask?" He pulled out of the driveway and headed down the street.

"Because you're acting weird. You didn't hug or kiss mom at all this morning and you just sound…tired. Are you sure you're okay?" Ellie was beginning to pick up on Mac's 'natural instinct' of interrogating people when she noticed they were acting different or trying to hide something. The teenager was quite aware of her developing trait and used it as often as possible with Jo just to spite her.

"Ellie, I'm fine. If something was wrong, I would let you know." It wasn't a total lie. Mac and Jo were honest with Ellie. They knew the dangers of the real world and weren't shy on letting Ellie know why they were so overprotective.

"No you wouldn't." Ellie spoke just as flat as Mac.

When he came to a stoplight, Mac turned to her. "Excuse me?"

"You're lying right now. I can tell. Dad, you and mom are both cops. You think I didn't learn a trick or two from you guys?" Mac would have smiled if he didn't feel so guilty at the time. "You are obviously upset about something that you don't want to tell me or mom. So, what is it? And don't say I'm too young to know. I watch Oprah; there is nothing you could tell me that I haven't already learned about."

Smirking slightly, Mac said, "You really are turning into your mother." He turned back to the road as he drove closer to the high school. "Ellie, listen to me. I know you worry about me and your mom-"

"I heard you two fighting last night." Ellie wasn't as blunt this time. She sounded disappointed and scared. "Are you and mom getting a divorce?"

The car came to a screeching halt in front of the school as Mac's eyes widened. "What? Where did you get that idea?"

"It's just…before today you were barely talking and mom was always tired and stressed. You two rarely even said 'I love you' anymore. Then last night you got into that fight. I thought you were going to break up. You're not, right?"

There wasn't a level of shame or guilt high enough to describe how Mac was feeling. It was like a slap in the face to hear his own daughter say that she hadn't heard her parents say 'I love you' in months. Mac hadn't even noticed until she said it. That was an everyday thing for them. It kept hem strong and trusting. Mac remembered then that Jo had said it that morning but he hadn't. He couldn't be strong for her; he couldn't be trusted. As he stared into Ellie's eyes he could see his entire life falling to pieces. "Sweetheart, I'm sorry that we scared you like that. We shouldn't have been fighting because it meant nothing and we really do love each other. I don't want you to worry about us, ever, okay?"

Ellie could tell Mac had blatantly avoided her question. In his own twisted way he had answered it partially to ease her mind but the way he said it, the half answer he gave, just confirmed her suspicions. He wasn't fine and she did have reason to worry about them. Nonetheless, she smiled and nodded her head at him. "Okay."

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"Welcome back!" The team shouted as Jo entered Mac's office later in the day.

"Thanks guys. It's great to be back. I missed you guys!" Everyone came over to hug Jo and welcome her back to the office. She greeted each of them then realized Mac wasn't among the group. "Where's Mac?"

"Um, we don't know. He said he would be here but I guess he got caught up somewhere." Lindsay answered for the gang. "I'm sure you've seen enough of him the last few months anyway." She winked playfully.

Jo blushed. "Yeah, so catch me up. We got a case?" As soon as she asked everyone's pagers went off. "Would you look at that; double on thirty-fourth. What a nice coming back present." The team joked before heading to their cars and getting back into the swing of things.

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Mac stared down at the dead bodies of Fiona and Charles Seward. It was just his luck that he was driving down Thirty-Fourth Street when he got the call out. He had purposely taken the long way from Ellie's school to miss Jo's short welcome back party. The thought of seeing her all day, everyday terrified him. He just couldn't bear the thought of having to look at her gorgeous, innocence face and know what he did to her. It killed him on the inside. Now she was back at work and as much as he knew he would try, there was no avoiding her. And even if it did work she'd catch on all too quickly and he couldn't even imagine her reaction if- when- he told her. It'd be the equivalent of ripping her beating heart right out of her chest and throwing it down a ten story building.

"Hey, stranger," Her voice was so sweet and gentle but Mac felt like a knife was running down his back. He whipped around to find his team arriving at the crime scene.

"Hey, welcome back." His voice was still monotone. There were too many emotions waiting to jump out of his throat and he struggled to keep them all down.

"Thanks, I thought you were going to be at the party. Where were you?" Jo stepped closer, holding her camera.

"Here; I was right down the street when I got the call out. Sorry I missed it." _Stop lying! You've done enough to her as it is! _Mac was hardly apologetic about the party. He was relieved.

"Oh, okay. Well what do we got?" Jo jumped right into the fire. She had been crammed inside far too long and couldn't wait to get started on her first case in a long time. To tell anyone else except her team that she was happy to see a dead body would surely get her thrown in an insane asylum.

"Um, Officer Howard will fill you in. I have to get back to the office." He quickly brushed past Jo and headed for his car.

"But we just got here!" Her smile covered the concern in her voice.

"I know; call me if you get something." Mac shouted over his shoulder before darting into his car. He sped off, not once looking out his window as he passed Jo.

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After collecting evidence and the dead bodies, the team headed back to the lab. Jo passed by Mac's office. She wanted to step in to check on him but he looked like he was very intent on finishing some paperwork. Deciding not to disturb him, she continued to the DNA analyst room. Lindsay greeted her as she walked in. "Hey, Jo,"

"Hey," Her voice was solemn and distant.

"You okay?"

"I guess…let me ask you something."

"Shoot," The ladies worked as they carried their conversation.

"While I was gone, did you guys get any…how do I put this? Were there any cases that would have upset Mac?"

Lindsay looked up from the computer screen. "Uh, not that I would know of; why?"

"It's just…Mac is really distant all of a sudden. I thought maybe he came across a case or something. I don't know, just theorizing." Jo was hoping it was a case that had Mac so lost in his own world. She had an idea of what it might be but admitting that wasn't an option she wanted to choose at the moment.

"Well if he's acting that way all of a sudden, I doubt it has anything to do with a case." Lindsay half mumbled. By not jumping down her throat, Jo surprised them both. She simply raised an eyebrow at Lindsay, signaling her to explain. "Maybe it's something that happened at home. Did you two get into a fight or something?"

Just from the way Jo bit her lip and darted her eyes around, Lindsay knew that that was probably the problem. "We, uh…we got into a huge fight last night but…I thought I fixed that."

"Now that's a problem. You _both_ got into a fight but _you_ fixed it. Correct me if I'm wrong but there are_ two_ people in a relationship. Just because you thought it was fixed doesn't mean it is." The printer spat out Lindsay's results and she snatched them up. "I'm gonna drop this off to Mac. I'll see you later."

Jo was left to ponder the thought. She really did believe that she and Mac were doing better since the fight but now that Lindsay had put it in perspective Jo was beginning to believe her problems with Mac weren't completely resolved. Though she apologized and Mac forgave her, she never actually asked Mac how he felt. That was definitely something she'd have to talk to him about that night.

**A/N: is it just me or did this chapter not really do anything but add suspense (if it even did that)? i'm going to be nice and add chapter 17 today as well...please R&R**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: as promised chapter 16 & 17 up on the same day :) i'm not particularly happy with how this came out but i've already revised and re-edited and rewritten it about ten times! enjoy and please R&R**

Chapter 17

"Hey, honey," Jo said excitedly as she picked up Ellie from school.

Ellie hopped in the car excitedly, the wheels already spinning in her head. "Hey, mom, how was your first day back?"

"Gruesome; but I'm glad to be back." She drove out of the parking lot and onto the road.

"Only you would be happy about dead bodies." Ellie rolled her eyes.

"It's my job. How was school?"

Ellie shrugged her shoulders. "Eh,"

"Eh? That's all I get?"

"Mom, it's high school. 'Eh' is an overstatement."

"I can see our tax dollars are being well spent." Now Jo rolled her eyes.

"Well not everything was 'eh'…" Ellie turned to the window as her cheeks reddened.

Jo's mouth dropped as she smiled widely. "Oh, do I sense you having a crush on someone?"

Ellie blushed harder. "Maybe…"

Jo smiled widely. "Aw, my baby has a crush on a little boy."

"Oh, God, mom; this is why I don't tell you anything. I'm not a baby anymore and he's not a little boy."

"Well, excuse me; my daughter has a crush on a young man."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome and what's his name? What does he look like? What classes do you have with him? Have you talked to him yet?"

Ellie whipped her head at her mother. "Calm down! You sound like one of my friends!" They laughed before Ellie continued, "I'm not telling you one thing because if I do you'll probably do a background check on him and his entire family; like you do with Tyler's friends."

"I would not…"

"Don't lie; you would! Then you would tell dad and I would never hear the end of it!" Ellie threw her hands over her face dramatically.

Jo laughed. "No, I wouldn't."

"Yeah, right," Ellie paused as she frowned. "Not like he'd care anyway." Unbeknownst to Jo, Ellie had set her plan in motion and was now reeling Jo in.

Turning to face Ellie, Jo asked, "Why do you say that? You know he cares about you."

"I'm sure he does. I think he's busy with other things right now, though." Ellie stared back out the window. For a sixteen year old, she was a fairly good actress.

"Ellie, what's wrong? Did Mac say or do something to upset you?" Jo kept turning her head from Ellie to the road, trying to read her face.

"I heard you both fighting." Ellie was going to say more but she knew Jo would get hung up on that one part of the conversation.

"Um…" As expected Jo was stammering for words. Mac and Jo rarely argued like that and even if they did it was behind closed doors and certainly not when Ellie was home. Jo never wanted Ellie or Aurora to be between her and Mac. It wasn't fair to them and all it did was make matters worse. "What did Mac tell you about the fight?"

"He apologized for scaring me. Then he said it meant nothing, you really love each other, and I shouldn't be worried about you guys."

"Well he's right. I'm sorry you had to hear that, Ellie. It really was nothing and we've already talked about what we were arguing about. Sweetheart, why were you worried about us?"

"Mom, I'm not a little kid anymore. I do notice when you guys are acting different. You and dad rarely even talked after Aurora was born and you stopped hugging and kissing and you even stopped saying 'I love you'." There was more truth in Ellie's words now. She'd put on a good act but now she saw the chance to tell her mom at least a little of how she felt.

"Oh, Ellie," They had pulled into the driveway of the condo and Jo turned to Ellie to find her eyes were watering.

"I thought you were getting a divorce."

"No, honey," Jo pulled Ellie into her arms. "Never; like Mac said, we love each other. Just because we fight sometimes doesn't mean we're going to get divorced."

Ellie smiled at her mom, seeing she actually believed what she was saying. The fact that Ellie got two totally different answers from her parents confused Ellie to no end. She figured now would be a good time to mention Mac's half answer. "That's not what dad said."

Jo sat back, shocked by her response. "Wait, what did Mac say? What did you even ask him?"

"I asked him if you were getting a divorce and he didn't even answer my question."

"What did he say?" Jo narrowed her brow. She was now feeling confused and slightly angry that Mac hadn't even answered Ellie's question about their fight and possibly getting a divorce.

"I told you; he apologized for scaring me and said not to worry about you two. That's a half answer if I ever heard one." Her quick tongue got Ellie caught.

"Ellie, go inside."

"But-"

"Listen to me; you need to stop being so nosey and worrying about me and your dad's relationship. If we have a problem, we'll fix it…without your assistance. You're a sneaky child and have far too many habits of mine and Mac's."

"But mom-"

Jo raised her hand to stop her. "I know you want to help and you're obviously worried about us but you can't speak for your dad. I will talk to him and then we'll talk to you together. Understood?"

Ellie sighed in defeat. "Understood. I was just trying to help."

"Yes but a majority of the time I think you're just being nosey. You've become quite a good actress; we'll have to watch out for that. Now get inside and start your homework."

"Fine," Ellie climbed out of the car. She stopped and leaned into the window before going into the house. "Seriously though, you're not getting divorced are you?"

Jo couldn't even give a definitive answer now. Knowing that not everything Ellie said could be trusted, she still feared Mac's response if she asked him about the divorce. "You, me, and Mac will talk when we get home, okay?"

"See, this is why I have to be sneaky! You never answer my questions!" Ellie whined.

"Ellie, go." Defiantly, she marched off into the house.

Jo furrowed her brows at the thought of Mac and Ellie's conversation. She wasn't so sure now that the fight had been resolved. It had been big and low blows were thrown, but it wasn't enough to make Jo even think about divorce. Doubts filled her mind that Mac was thinking differently.

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Mac and Jo had barely taken a step into the condo that night when Ellie confronted them at the door. "Welcome home, I missed you guys; now get to talking. I want answers, now." She grabbed both their wrists, dragged them into the living room, and pushed them on the couch. "Go ahead; talk."

"Elizabeth Anne, what are you doing?" Mac jumped from his seat and crossed his arms over his chest.

Talking a step back, Ellie said, "I want to know why you're being so weird. Why didn't you tell mom you love her this morning? You didn't hug or kiss and then you basically said you're getting a divorce."

"Ellie, you know that's not what I said. I told you not to worry about us."

"I said me and Mac would talk before we talked with you, Ellie. You can't just drag us in here and expect to listen in on our adult conversation." Jo was standing now next to Mac with her hands on her hips.

"If you don't talk in front of me, though, I'll just get the kid-censored version of your discussion. I'm not a kid anymore!"

"You're certainly acting like one." Mac interrupted.

Ellie groaned and threw her hands in the air. "Would you let me speak?" The anger and force of her voice shocked everyone in the room. Mac sat back down on the couch and folded his hands. Jo copied his motion as she crossed her leg over her knee. "Thank you." Ellie took a deep breath before she started again. "I know I shouldn't have been so nosey and sneaky but if you don't tell me what's going on then that's the only way I find out anything. For six months, you've both been stressed out and angry and arguing with each other. Then last night everything just hit the fan. I've never heard you yell so much and so angrily at each other." She paused to see Mac and Jo hang their heads in shame. "Dad, you just left last night without a word and I didn't know where you were and I thought you weren't coming back. And mom, you probably don't want me to say this but I did hear you last night. I heard you talking to yourself and then cry yourself to sleep. And you wonder why I was worried about you guys and thought you were getting divorced!"

"Sweetheart-" Jo tried to interrupt.

"I'm not done! This entire time no one said anything to me. You just kept fighting and avoiding each other and completely ignoring me. This morning I thought everything was better because mom was so happy and you finally get to go back to work. Then dad you come home and you didn't hug her or kiss her or say I love you. Why? What is going on?"

Mac's head sprang up. "Ellie, I am so sorry that we made you feel that way. I'm sorry that we've been ignoring you, too. I never meant for that to happen. You have to understand, sweetheart, sometimes we get caught up in our own problems and forget the people around us. We should have known better and took into account how you were feeling this whole time."

"Yeah, yeah whatever. Answer the question; explain why I got two different answers when I asked you about the fight. Dad, you didn't even answer my question. Mom, you said everything was okay. Which is it?"

The couple stared at each other. Now they really had to talk. "Honestly, we don't know." Jo answered first.

"What do you mean you don't know? You have to know!"

"Ellie, calm down," Jo stood up and wrapped her arms around Ellie. "Apparently, we have had a little communication problem which we're going to fix right now. I don't want you to worry about it okay?"

"I can't just not worry about the stability of my parent's relationship." Any other kid would have said it jokingly, but Ellie meant it in all seriousness.

"You've been watching too much Oprah." Jo joked, trying to lighten the moment. She held Ellie by the shoulders as she looked her in the eyes. "Ellie, I promise you, we're going to talk right now, alone, and when we figure this out, we'll tell you exactly what we said."

"You promise no kid-censored version?"

"I promise." She kissed her on the forehead.

Ellie looked behind her to Mac. "Dad, you promise, right?"

Mac wasn't one for promises at the time. They were just something else he'd broken. He couldn't keep that from his daughter though. He smiled meekly as he said, "Promise."

Ellie had a bright smile as she went over to hug Mac. "I'm sorry for yelling at you both. I really needed to get that out."

"We know; it's okay. We'll come and get you when we're done, okay?" Jo smoothed back her hair. Ellie simply nodded and disappeared into her room.

Jo let out a long, deep breath and pulled Mac into their bedroom, closing the door behind them. As she changed into pajamas, Mac leaned against the door with his arms crossed over his chest. He was not looking forward to this talk. He had been arguing with himself all day, trying to figure out whether or not he should tell Jo and if he did how he should tell her. There was no easy way to say you slept with another woman. However he said it, he knew it would break her heart. After everything that had happened that day, hell, after everything that had happened in the last few months, hearing of bad news had become a part of the day. This wasn't just bad news though; this was stabbing a knife in Jo's back news.

"Are you gonna stand there the whole time or give your feet a rest?" Jo asked as she patted the space on the bed next to her.

Mac quickly looked at her then jumped to the edge of the bed. "Let's talk." He stated flatly.

"Mac, why does Ellie think you want a divorce?" Quick to the point; Mac figured that would be her first question.

"She interpreted what I said wrong."

"Could you tell me what you said?" Jo crawled up behind him and rested her head on his shoulder. Mac shook and jumped from his seat. He leaned against the wall with his hand covering his face. As if washing the guilt away he rubbed his face and crossed his arms again. "Mac, please stop that."

"What?"

"I swear, you're doing the same thing I used to. Every time I come near you, you run the other direction. What did I do? Is this about the fight?"

"No, no, you didn't do anything. This is all my fault." Pacing across the room, Mac could feel his heart rate quicken.

"The fight? I thought-"

"Not the fight! It's…we…I…" It only took one look at Jo's puzzled expression for Mac to fall to his knees in front of her. "Jo, I am so so so sorry. I can't apologize enough for what I did."

Rising from the bed, Jo stood in front of Mac. "Mac, what are you talking about? What did you do?"

He stared into her eyes wishing they would annihilate him right there. "I…" He didn't even want to say the words. They were vile and atrocious. He was equally disgusted with himself.

Jo pulled Mac up and held his face in her hands. "Whatever it is, it's okay."

"It's not okay!" He pushed her hands down. "I promised you I would never hurt you and that you could trust me. Now…you didn't deserve this. You didn't deserve me; you deserved so much better. I swear I never meant for this to happen." Mac could feel the words rising in his throat. The guilt pushed them higher and higher. Pain and fear of losing Jo overtook Mac but he knew he had to say it. Keeping it from her would only hurt her more.

"Mac, please…tell me what happened." Wrapping her arms around her waist, Jo prepared for his news. She couldn't think of anything so horrible a deed that Mac was acting this way. Her prince wasn't capable of such things.

"I…I…I slept with Stella."

It felt like the whole world suddenly just stopped. She almost laughed thinking it was all a dream. What he had just said was just a figment of her deranged imagination. She didn't hear what he just said; it wasn't true. "You…you…what?"

"Jo, I'm so sorry. We were drunk and I just didn't want to think about the fight-"

"You…how could you?" Jo's voice was barely above a whisper but filled with so much emotion.

"I'm not asking you to forgive me. I know what I did was…unforgivable. I am so sorry. I never meant to hurt you."

"Mac, I loved you. I trusted you. I thought you were different." Her voiced cracked and Jo felt like she the room was spinning a million miles a second. "How could you?"

Mac's mouth was agape. There was nothing he could think to say. He'd already apologized a half a dozen times and he knew that wouldn't fix anything. All he could do was stand there as he watched his wife fall apart at his hands.

"You were supposed to be different! You said you loved me and that you would never hurt me and that you would protect me from everything! Was it all a lie?"

"God, no!"

"It was! How can you stand here and tell me it wasn't? I believed you when you said I could trust you. I can't believe I believed in you. After everything I went through. And you knew! You knew I was afraid to be with you and apparently for good reason!"

_That's not true! _Mac wanted to shout as loud as he could but he couldn't. There was no use. For every word she said, he knew it wasn't true but he also knew that he screwed up. He may have meant every word he ever told her, he intended to keep every promise he ever made to her, but he didn't. He let one fight ruin it all and now he was losing everything he vowed to hold close.

"Get out." Jo's voice was shaking horribly and hot tears flooded her eyes. "I don't ever want to see you again. Just…leave."

Without a word, Mac bowed his head and quietly left the room. He wasn't too surprised to find Ellie peeking out her bedroom door. She ran up to Mac, expecting him to keep his promise. "What happened? Everything's okay, right?"

As he dropped to one knee, just a few inches shorter than Ellie, he shook his head. "No..." Ellie searched his eyes, trying to find more. He kissed her forehead and stood back up, heading for the door.

"Dad, wait! Where are you going? Where's mom? You promised you would talk to me! You never break a promise!" Mac stopped dead in his tracks. He promised them both so many things. No matter what this did to him and Jo, he still intended to keep those promises. Ellie ran over to him, hugging him from behind. "Please, don't leave."

Jo stood at the bedroom door, watching the entire scene unfold. Mac sighed heavily as he turned to face Ellie again. "I can't stay here, Ellie. I really hurt your mom and I think it's best if I just leave…for awhile. You may not believe me but…can I promise you one more thing?" Ellie's eyes filled with tears as she clung to Mac's waist. She nodded her head into his shirt. Mac bent down and hugged her back as he whispered in her ear, "I promise everything will be okay."

**A/N: wow...please dont kill me...chapter 18 coming soon! please R&R**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: may i just say that i am especially happy with how the first part of this chapter came out! i rewrote it about five times and i was stunned by how awesome it sounds (to me at least) tell me what you think by leaving a review please! oh and i know i normally use italics for what people are thinking but in this chapter a majority of it are songs playing while Jo and Ellie are in the car, didnt want to cause confusion! enjoy and please R&R**

Chapter 18

Two long, grueling, bitter, painful months had passed. After staying at Flack's for a few nights Mac rented out an apartment. Even after being in it for a month and a half now, it was completely empty. Unlike the condo, there was no furniture or toys on the floor, no pictures on the walls, no books on the shelves, and barely any food in the fridge. It was like his condo before he met Jo; a house to stay at but not a home to live in.

Though Mac's living situation was horrible, Jo's wasn't much better. Even surrounded by her kids and the warmth and comfort of a home, she felt alone and afraid. Her outer appearance stayed perfect as usual; she had to be strong and balanced for her family's sake, but on the inside she was dying. Everything in the house tormented her with thoughts of Mac. Yes; he had made the dumbest, biggest mistake of his life, yet Jo still loved him. She craved him and obsessed over him and prayed she could be wrapped in his arms again. His once comforting scent was long lost from her sheets and Jo found sleep less inviting. She'd simply pace around the room, letting her thoughts wander, until she fell asleep.

With nowhere to sit and nothing to do, Mac could only do the same. He thought about everything late at night; his wife, his daughters, his fucked up life. Some nights he went to bed and woke thinking it was all a bad dream and when he rolled over he would see Jo lying next to him; but he didn't. He woke up alone, to cold, dead air. Without Jo's sweet scent of lavender and vanilla entangled in his sheets Mac was terrified. He wished she was there to comfort him; her simple presence always did. It was more than he deserved though, he kept telling himself. Jo, Aurora, and Ellie were more than he deserved. He had been blessed with their presence and instead of being grateful and careful with that gift, he destroyed it.

On two different sides of the city, both Jo and Mac stared at their clocks. Now one thirty in the morning, they watched as the second hand clicked over each dash. They should have been asleep hours ago, but of course they didn't get to their respective homes until late and their minds wouldn't be at ease until they berated themselves for at least an hour. That night, an hour turned into two and two hours would soon turn into three for Mac. He was slowly falling back into his old ways; working until the early hours of the mornings, eating meals days apart, and getting a mere five hours of sleep every other day, if that much.

Jo wouldn't have had it; she would have dragged Mac home herself and fed him and made him sleep. Unfortunately, Mac no longer had that luxury. Left to take care of himself, he was failing horribly and he knew it. He couldn't survive on his own. How he made it so far in his life before amazed him. He needed Jo; he craved her; he obsessed over her, his every waking thought was about her. It tortured him to no end. Mac didn't want to think about her anymore. He knew she had long forgotten about him; why would she pain herself with thoughts of him? She was obviously long done with him, Mac believed, as they barely had any communication the last few weeks; only polite courtesies in passing at work. Sometimes Ellie talked him into driving her to school and he'd run into Jo at the condo, but it was simple and unemotional 'hellos' before they went their separate ways.

Their separation was taking a toll on their job performance which was quite obvious to the team. They all urged husband and wife to fix whatever the hell was going on before internal affairs got involved. That was the last thing they needed; some IAB agent breathing down their necks about the stability of their relationship. Neither Mac nor Jo knew the answer to that. Most of the IAB agents were probably rooting for them to break up anyhow.

Unbeknownst to Mac, that thought had never crossed Jo's mind. She was upset and confused and terrified and wanted to strangle Mac, but she still loved him. Her heart wasn't broken, just bruised and of course bruises healed over time. However, Mac swore up and down that he'd broken Jo's heart, that he'd failed her, that she could, and should, never love him again; but Jo wouldn't believe it. It would take more than Mac's one indiscretion to destroy her faith in him. Their relationship was being put to the test and a great strain was being taken out on them but Jo refused to let it break them. If only Mac had the same mentality.

Deep in his heart Mac just knew he would never get Jo back. There was no fixing what he'd done and secretly, he didn't want to. He had it in his head that he just wasn't good enough for Jo and that the sooner he let go of her, the sooner she'd heal and find someone that could love her more; someone that could protect her better; someone that could really be trusted. As much as it pained his heart to think these thoughts, he had to believe them.

Hoping, wishing and praying for the nightmare to end, the ever stubborn, wanna-be-brave Jo Taylor let the dam break as she cried herself to sleep and the once strong and heroic Mac Taylor cried into his pillow as well as memories of his goddess flooded his mind.

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.

.

Ellie quietly snuck out of her room early in the morning. She tip-toed to her mother's bedroom and cracked the door slightly. For a month now she'd noticed Jo waking up frazzled every morning with no explanation; none that she would willingly say anyway. Concerned as usual, Ellie had developed a habit of recording when Jo went to bed, when she woke up, and how she slept. She was becoming a real detective-in-training. Ellie poked her head through the door and observed as Jo tossed and turned in the bed. She was wriggling so much the sheets fell off. Ellie leaned in closer to hear what Jo was mumbling. It was too incoherent; something about Mac, something Russ, then she screamed. Ellie jumped slightly as Jo awoke in a cold sweat.

Jo breathed heavily, grasping for air as she clutched the sheets to her chest. Her heart was beating fiercely and her head spun from the nightmare. Calming slightly, Jo gripped her forehead and cursed under her breath. "Dammit…why does this keep happening?" Looking up, Jo noticed her door slightly ajar. "Who's there?" She asked, instinctively reaching for her gun in the nightstand.

Ellie poked her head back in. "It's just me."

Relaxing, Jo closed the nightstand draw. "Morning, sweetheart," She said calmed but still slightly shaken.

"You okay, mom?" Ellie entered the room cautiously.

"I'm fine. Why?" Jo realized she was still gripping the sheets and let them go quickly.

Climbing on the bed and sitting in front of Jo, Ellie asked, "It was another nightmare, wasn't it?"

"What? What are you talking about?" She knew exactly what Ellie meant. Ever since Mac left, she'd been having horrifying nightmares. Sometimes she was trapped somewhere and Russ would come in but Mac wasn't there to save her. Other times she'd dream of her and Mac and their family and then they'd all be destroyed; a fire, a murderer, even a tsunami once. Somehow she'd just lose everyone. That night she'd had the worse so far. She, Mac, Tyler, Ellie and Aurora were on a walk in the park when suddenly a blizzard came on. She'd lost track of the kids and was frantically searching the snow. Mac grabbed her and was holding her close. At first she felt warm and protected until she felt suffocated. She tried to break free but he just kept holding tighter and tighter. Then Jo looked up and Mac was gone; in his place was the vicious face of Russ. He smiled cruelly and the ground broke beneath them. Jo fell in the crack between them and she clung to Russ's hand for dear life. He taunted her as he let go of each finger one by one until she was dropped into the abyss.

Just thinking of the nightmare paled Jo's face and she didn't hear Ellie calling to her. "Mom? Mom! What's wrong with you?"

"What? Oh, I'm sorry honey. I was, uh…lost in my own thoughts." Ellie frowned and eyed her suspiciously. Just as Ellie was about to bring up the nightmares again, Jo interrupted her. "Go get dressed. I'll be ready in ten…hopefully."

Obviously unsatisfied, Ellie rolled her eyes as she climbed off the bed and ran back to her room.

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.

.

After getting dressed, waking up Aurora, dressing and feeding her, then feeding Ellie, Jo was finally ready. Just as the babysitter walked in, Jo glanced at her watch. "Shit! Let's go Ellie or you're gonna be late…again." Jo quickly threw the dishes in the sink and kissed Aurora as she handed her over to the babysitter. "Love you," She tickled the baby before darting out the door.

In the car, Ellie pulled out a CD from her backpack. "What's that?" Jo asked.

"Just some songs I burned. Can I put it in?" Jo nodded and Ellie pushed in the CD. As soon as it started playing Jo had a feeling she was going to regret letting her sneaky daughter pick the morning music.

_So baby hold on tight, don't let go_

_Hold onto the love we're making_

'_Cause baby when the ground starts shakin' _

_You gotta know_

_When you've got a good thing_

Ellie hid her laugh when Jo clicked the next button, only to be confronted by another love song.

_I melt _

_Every time you look at me that way_

_It never fails_

_Anytime, anyplace_

_This burn in me is the coolest thing I've ever felt_

Jo clicked next again and again. She seriously believed the music was taunting her.

_That's why I keep on lovin' you_

_I keep on lovin' you_

_Through the 'baby don't leave me's and 'never will again's and 'I promise to's_

_I keep on lovin' you_

"Ellie…" Jo started with a low growl in her voice. Ellie clicked next again.

_ I will stand by you_

_I will help you through_

_When you've done all you can do_

_If you can't cope_

_I will dry your eyes_

_I will fight your fight_

_I will hold you tight _

_And I won't let go_

"Elizabeth Anne…" Jo turned to her with anger in her eyes. Before she could even finish her sentence, Ellie quickly pushed the next button, already knowing which song came next. She smiled devilishly in her head. The song was already threatening to bring tears to Jo's eyes yet she let it play anyway.

_Seems like I was walking in the wrong direction_

_ I barely recognized my own reflection, no_

_ Scared of love but scared of life alone_

_Seems I've been playing on the safe side lately_

_Building walls around my heart to save me, oh _

_But it's time for me to let it go_

_Yeah, I'm ready to feel now_

_No longer am I afraid of the fall down_

_It must be time to move on now_

_Without the fear of how it might end_

_I guess im ready to love again_

_Just when we think that love will never find you_

_You runaway but still it's right behind you, oh_

_It's just something that you can't control_

Jo cut off the music and pulled into a parking space in front of the school. "Elizabeth Anne Taylor, what do you think you're doing?" Jo rarely had to use Ellie's entire name. It was a sign that Ellie had pushed too far.

"What?" Ellie asked as innocently as possible.

"Don't 'what' me." Jo mocked Ellie's innocent, high-pitched voice. "You know what I'm talking about. Are you trying to tell me something?"

_If you didn't get it from all those songs than apparently not…_"No…" Ellie replied meekly turning away from Jo.

"No? Then why do you have all these love songs and Mac and me's wedding song on this CD? That is damn well not a coincidence." Jo turned Ellie's face back to hers.

"Just forget it," Ellie unfastened her seatbelt and prepared to exit the vehicle.

At the last second Jo grabbed her wrist. "We're not done with this. What is your problem?"

Yanking her arm out of Jo's hand, Ellie shouted, "You; you're my problem! I hate you!" She grabbed her backpack, slammed the door, and marched into the building.

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.

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"Mac Taylor," Mac answered the phone in his office.

"Yes, this is the nurse at your daughter Elizabeth's school."

Mac straightened in his seat. "Is Ellie okay? Did something happen at school?"

"She came into the clinic about twenty minutes ago. She's not running a fever or throwing up but she's complaining of stomach pains. I was wondering if you could come pick her up."

As Flack passed his office, Mac waved him in. "Yeah, I'll be right over. Thank you." He hung up the phone as he turned to Flack. "I need you to take care of the Richard case. I have to go pick up Ellie from school."

"No problem; is she okay?"

"She said she's feeling sick. I'll be back in about an hour." Grabbing his jacket off his chair, Mac raced out of the building.

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.

As soon as Mac and Ellie arrived back at his office, Ellie collapsed on his futon. Mac crouched down to feel her forehead. "You're not warm, you haven't thrown up, and you're not coughing or sneezing. What's wrong, sweetheart?"

Ellie put on her best 'in-serious-pain' face as she turned to Mac. "My stomach hurts…and my head…" She made a motion of tightening her arms around her waist.

"Did you eat breakfast?" Ellie nodded her head slowly gaining a sympathetic frown from Mac. "Okay, how about you just rest here for now? If you need something just call." When she nodded again, Mac gently kissed her and went back to his desk. He tried to work but he was extremely distracted by Ellie. He couldn't resist peeking over his computer to check on her. She never made a sound, excluding the occasional sniffle which Mac jumped at. They had barely been there an hour when Jo came strolling in with tox results. If Lindsay hadn't forced her to hand the report to Mac, she wouldn't have even come to his side of the building.

"Mac, I just got the tox-" She then noticed the figure curled up on his futon. "Ellie? Mac, what is she doing here?" Jo spoke slightly louder than necessary.

Ellie stirred slightly and Mac put his finger to his lips as he shushed Jo. "The nurse's office called; she said she felt sick so I picked her up. I didn't want her to be at home alone if it was something serious. What's the tox report say?"

Jo threw the papers on his desk and brought her hands to her hips. "All negative; Mac, she was perfectly fine this morning; more than fine actually…"

Mac stood from his seat. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing; we just got into a little fight. She probably didn't want me to pick her up from school today so she faked being sick. I can't believe you let her con you. I can't believe she conned the nurse."

"I was not conned. What fight?" Mac crossed his arms over his chest as he stood in front of Jo.

"That is none of your business, and yes you were. Look, I have to get back to work." Jo tossed her hand and turned on her heel to leave.

Shocking them both, Mac grabbed her hand and pulled her back. Goosebumps ran up Jo's arm and she quickly pulled her hand out of his. "Uh…" Mac stammered. "If-emphasis on that- she's pretending then she must have good reason. You know Ellie; she would never want to miss school. What happened this morning?"

"Don't worry about it, Mac. I'll talk to her when I go home."

"How about we talk now?" Ellie popped up off the futon and stood between her parents.

Jo smirked as she placed her hands back on her waist. "Okay, you explain to your father how you made a love song CD to taunt me then told me you hate me and are now pretending to be sick." She turned to Mac with an 'I-told-you-so' smirk on her face.

Even though she knew she was caught, Ellie continued glaring at Jo. Mac's mouth dropped and he eyed Ellie. "You did what? You had better have a good explanation for this, young lady."

"Yes; trying to get my parents back together!" Ellie stomped her foot as her hands fisted.

"Oh, for God's sake; this again?" Jo rubbed her temples. She should have expected it. She would have known if she wasn't so busy suppressing her nightmares and every thought of Mac. "Ellie, for hopefully the last time, you will not force me and your father to talk on your own accord. We have our own problems that we will fix on our own time without your interference."

"I'm not interfering! I'm trying to show you what you already know! Stop pretending like you don't want to be together! I know you do. Why do you keep making things worse?" The question was meant for both of them but Ellie's eyes stayed glued to Jo.

"Both of you calm down," Mac spoke with a low, calming voice. "Jo, can I talk to Ellie alone for a minute?" Jo went to speak but Mac shot her a look. With a huff she marched out of the office. He sat down next to Ellie. "Elizabeth, this had better be the last time I tell you this." Ellie looked up at him with anger and sorrow in her eyes. "Stop trying to fix our problems for us."

"That's not-"

"It is," Mac stopped her. "I know you're afraid and angry and confused and that's okay. You have to trust me and your mom though. We're not trying to hurt you, honey, and we certainly don't want to make things worse. You have to give us some time to sort things out; this is very complicated and I can't afford to rush things." Ellie ducked her head and Mac put his arm around her shoulder. "You had the best intentions, I'm sure, but you just have to sit back and let us handle it. You know we don't want you in the middle of this and you can't keep putting yourself there to try and make things move faster."

"I understand…" Ellie whispered meekly.

"Are you sure? I'm serious; I do not want this to happen again." Mac was smiling now but his voice stayed level and firm.

Ellie pulled back from Mac and with all sincerity she asked, "Do you not want the fight or this conversation to happen again?"

"Neither." Satisfied with his answer Ellie smiled. "You're still apologizing to your mother."

"I know…" Ellie sighed and frowned disappointedly. All she wanted was for her parents to stop their foolish arguing and admit that they wanted to be together. To Ellie it was simple; they, however, made it so much more complicated than it should have been.

"Hey," Mac nudged her gently. "Don't worry, okay? What did I promise you?"

"Well you promised to take me ice skating about six months ago; I'm still waiting on that."

Mac laughed at seeing Ellie fall back into her normal self again. "I know, I'm working on that. Think more recently though."

Ellie smiled softly as she leaned her head against his chest. "You promised everything would be okay."

"And I intend to keep that promise."

**A/N: well now that i have tortured you with so much drama and emotion i'm gonna try and lighten up the mood! chapter 19 is on its way! please R&R**

**A/N2: i doubt anyone cares but if you wanted to know what songs were playing when Jo was in the car they were (in order): When You Got A Good Thing by Lady Antebellum, I Melt by Rascal Flatts, I Keep on Lovin' You by Reba McEntire, I Won't Let Go by Rascal Flatts, and Ready to Love Again by Lady Antebellum**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: anyone else tired of Mac & Jo being separated? that's what i thought...well stick it out one more chapter! this is so my second favorite chapter (after chapter 5) because of my first OC; Arianna Norah Danville! she is Jo's big sister and i think you guys are going to love her in this chapter! enjoy and PLEASE R&R **

Chapter 19

"Wow, what a dump." Sid said as he entered Mac's apartment early Saturday morning. "Flack wasn't kidding…" The M.E. carried a large paper bag of Chinese food into the room and placed it on the kitchen counter.

Mac followed him groggily from the door, his eyes practically falling from the sockets. "Sid, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, uh, Flack said to bring you by some food. We wanted to make sure you were eating and I wanted to see the apartment. I thought Flack was exaggerating when he described it but…wow, he really wasn't. Oh, do you want something to eat? I didn't know what you like so I got lo mein, tso chicken, fried rice…" True to his personality, Sid disclosed more than necessary.

"No, I'm not hungry." Mac lied. His last meal was so long ago it could have been the last supper. Even as he said it, his stomach growled. He just didn't feel like eating. It, like sleeping, had become unnecessary recently. All he wanted to do was work.

"I think your stomach disagrees. At least have a little, so I can tell the team I attempted to not let you starve to death." Sid held up a container of tso chicken and chop sticks. Reluctantly taking them, Mac leaned against the counter as he ate. Sid asked between bites, "How have you been doing?"

With a simple glare, Mac said everything he needed to. Sid dove back into his lo mein letting the silence loom between them. After a few pieces of chicken Mac asked, "What do you think I should do?"

Surprised, Sid placed his container on the table. "About what?"

"Don't act dumb, Sid. You know what I'm talking about." Mac was taking on an even more frightening demeanor with his untamed hair and unshaven face.

"Why are you asking me for advice?" Sid asked genuinely.

"I just need someone to talk to; and aren't old people supposed to be wise?" Mac was half serious. He was holding back a soft laugh.

"Did you just call me old?" Sid smiled, seeing a grin form on Mac's face.

"I called you wise."

"You called me old and wise."

"They're basically the same thing." Mac smiled lightly. "Seriously though…I don't know what to do."

The confusion, guilt, shame, and sadness were evident on Mac's face. Sid frowned, a rarity for him, and contemplated the situation. "Well, I don't actually know what you did Mac so I can't exactly give specific advice."

With a heavy sigh, Mac half answered his unspoken question. "I messed up really big. I don't need specifics, I just need advice."

"Okay…my advice is; do you love her?"

Mac glared at the gray haired man again. "What?"

"Answer the question; do you love her?"

"Yes; with all my heart."

"Well there's your advice." Sid said cheerily as he picked up his container and dug back into the noodles.

Mac jumped up. "You didn't even tell me anything! I already knew I loved Jo!"

Sid just smiled and nodded his head. He knew Mac didn't quite understand him just yet, but he would. Finishing off the food, Sid threw the empty containers back in the paper bag. "I assume you don't have a trash can so I'll just take this with me. Good luck, Mac."

Mad simply nodded his head as he pondered Sid's so-called 'advice'. When Sid had gone, Mac thought aloud. "You didn't even give me any advice! How does me still loving Jo help our relationship?" Still unable to decode Sid's message Mac grabbed his jacket and headed to someone else for guidance.

.

.

.

"Well, hello there little sister; long time no talk. What ya been up to?" Arianna's sweet southern tone floated through the phone. Jo had woken up early that Saturday morning just to talk to her. Her sister wasn't one of the best advice givers, Jo knew, but she sure knew how to make a person feel better. That was just what Jo needed in her time of crisis.

"Um, nothing…really…" Already struggling to keep her accent from rising, Jo bit her tongue and mouthed each word before she spoke.

"If nothin' was goin' on, you wouldn'a called me. Now, who's butt am I kickin' baby sis?"

Jo smiled and laughed softly. "Would you believe me if I said Mac's?"

Arianna almost let the phone drop out of her hands. "Not Prince Mac! Good ole' lover boy? He couldn'a done anything too bad. You haven't broken down in tears yet."

Actually Jo had, many times; almost every night since Mac left. That wasn't something she wanted to admit. "Ari, I'm not a teenager. I don't cry over every stupid thing my husband does."

Arianna laughed loudly on the other side. "You keep believin' that. Now what's the matter, hon?"

"Mac…he…" She didn't want to say the words. They didn't even sound right being in the same sentence as his name.

Being the overprotective sister she is, Arianna immediately thought the worst. "He had better not hit you like that Russ. I swear I will fly up there right now and kick his ass! He won't be able to sit for a year once I get my hands on him!"

"Whoa, whoa, Ari; calm down! He would never do that."

Arianna breathed a sigh of relief. "Then what is it? You can't just call me up and get me all worried and not tell me what's goin' on."

"He cheated on me…" Jo felt ashamed just to say the words. They were something she'd never thought she'd have to say.

"He what?" Arianna's voice screeched through the phone.

"It was just one time. We got into a huge fight and he got drunk-"

"Don't you dare give that man an excuse, Josephine!" Arianna interrupted her. Jo could tell she was about to hear it when Arianna called her 'Josephine'. "Now you listen here; I don't care what the hell he told you. Cheaters are dirty, filthy liars that ain't worth your time and love. You best not be doing the same thing for him that you did for Russ because I'll be damned if I let you do that again. You've been through too much to let another man stomp on your heart like that."

Jo sighed heavily as her voice shook from the lump in her throat. "Don't do that; don't compare him to Russ. Mac is nothing like him. He never has been and he never will."

"Oh, really now?" This was Arianna's signature line whenever she pulled some reverse psychology on Jo. Arianna didn't believe in cheaters but from what Jo told her about Mac she knew he was a decent man who wasn't exempt from making mistakes. Yes, this was a big one but she could tell the prince and her little sister would get through it. It would take some time and someone to knock some sense into their heads every once and awhile but they would get through. "Remind me again what he promised you when he proposed."

"Ari, that's not fair."

"Jo, that is completely fair! He promised never to hurt you and look what he's done. Don't tell me you're not hurt by this. You wouldn'a called if you weren't."

"But Ari-"

"Don't 'but Ari' me. It didn't work when we were kids and it ain't gonna work now."

"Arianna, he's apologized a thousand times and I know he's serious. You should see him, walking around here like a lost puppy. He feels so guilty."

"As he should! The bastard cheated on you! Kick his ass to the curb!" Arianna had to cover the receiver she was hardly able to contain her laughter. Getting Jo to open up like this was a very entertaining game to her.

Jo bit her lip before responding. "I can't do that…"

"And why the hell not?" The older sister asked, as if she didn't already know.

"Because…because…" Jo stared up at the ceiling. She really didn't want to speak now.

"You still love him." Arianna finished for her.

Jo wanted to shout at the top of her lungs, 'God, yes!' but she couldn't. "No…"

"Yes…"

"No…"

"Yes…" Arianna said a bit firmer.

"N-"

"Josephine Marie, disagree with me 'gain and I'm callin' ma."

Jo's eyes widened at the thought. It was hard enough dealing with Arianna's stubbornness, let alone her mother's. Arianna was a good threat, for sure, but her mother was another case. If Jane Lynn Danville said she was going to do something, she meant it. All Ari had to do was mention Mac and Jo's mother would be on the first thing smoking to New York to really show him a southern beat down. Arianna could hurt him, but Jane Lynn…that woman would surely kill him. Desperately wanting to hide the fear in her voice, Jo stammered. "I'm not afraid of her…that much…"

Arianna snickered. "I'll call…Mac…"

"No!" Jo wished she had caught herself before she said it. She hated when Arianna got her.

"Say it…or else…"

"Fine…I love him. You are an evil person, Arianna Norah."

"And you're an idiot, Josephine Marie." Arianna stated flatly. She was done with her mind games. She spoke with all honesty to Jo.

"Excuse me?"

"Get your man back, hon! You know you want him…and I mean that in every sense of the word…"

Jo rolled her eyes. "Stop being a pervert!"

"Stop being an idiot."

"Remind me why I called you?"

"'Cause I'm your big sister and I know what's best for ya…but I bet Mac knows what's better…"

"Are you being perverted again?"

"Depends; you gonna call lover boy?"

Jo hesitated. She really wanted to and God knew she was thinking about it. "No…"

"Then yes."

"Ugh! Good-bye."

"Wait!" Arianna caught her before she hung up the phone.

"You better not say something perverted or I'm hanging up on you."

"Okay, okay. Hon, I know you love this man and you want him back in your life. I know he hurt you and you're afraid and a little untrusting but sometimes you just have to give your heart to someone and see what they do with it. We both know Mac only wants the best for you. He's not gonna mess up again. Just trust me, and him."

Jo noticed her switch of sides and smirked. "Thanks Ari. You are a perverted, black-mailing, reverse-psychology-using, evil big sister, but I love you."

"Damn, caught. Was hopin' to use that on ya a little while longer." They both laughed over the phone. "I love you, too baby sis. Now, get my favorite brother-in-law back or his butt won't be the only one I'm beatin'."

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"You…" Tyler said viciously as he opened the door to find Mac standing in front of him.

"Tyler, I know you're probably a little angry-" Mac was barely able to finish his sentence before Tyler jumped him. He attacked the man and sent them both crashing to the ground. Not being a professional, Tyler threw punches wildly but Mac was able to dodge them. Mac flipped on Tyler, pinning him to the ground on his stomach. Out of breath, Mac said tiredly, "Look…I came here…in peace…now…if I let you up…you're not going to hit me again, are you?"

Tyler squirmed beneath his grasp. "Again? I didn't hit you the first time! Now let me up!"

"Tyler calm down! I'm not in the mood for this." Mac huffed again.

"Okay! I'm calm! Now get off of me!" Mac stood, pulling Tyler up with him. He released the boy's wrists and Tyler spun around. He rubbed his wrists and gestured his head toward the door, allowing Mac inside Jo's former apartment.

Mac felt overwhelmed by the homey appearance. It was the complete opposite of his apartment; there was furniture and pictures and Tyler's belongings everywhere. There was a pang in Mac's heart as he remembered what he'd left behind.

"What do you want?" Tyler spat sharply as he plopped in the lazy chair. Mac sat across from him on the leather couch.

"I just want to talk. I need your help." Never one to be vulnerable or desperate, both Mac and Tyler were shocked by Mac's plea.

"This is about my mom…" They both hung their heads. "Mac, I can't help you."

"Tyler, I know you've never liked me, but please; I'm begging you to help me. I've apologized a thousand times and I don't know what else to do. I just want her back. You have to believe me."

Tyler smiled. "I don't doubt you for a second, Mac. That's not why I can't help you. I probably know less about woman than you do and twice as less about mom. She is a…complex, to say the least, person. I don't even know where to begin with her."

Mac frowned and ran his hand over his face, exposing newly added wrinkles. "As her son, I thought you'd know more than that. Even I could tell you that."

"Well excuse me! I'm not the one who screwed up here. What did you do anyway? Mom hasn't told me and even Ellie can't figure it out."

"Let's just say I screwed up…really bad…" That was the understatement of the century but there really was no other way of putting it without tipping Tyler off. Until he figured out how to get Jo back, Mac was reluctant on letting anyone know of his horrible mistake.

"Yeah, that's helpful." Tyler rolled his eyes at Mac's blatant avoidance of the question. "Mac, I'm gonna be honest."

"When have you not been…"

"Shut up and listen. I don't know what you did and I really don't care. All I know is you hurt my mom. You almost broke her heart and you deserve whatever you're going through right now."

"You think I don't know that Tyler?"

"Stop interrupting me! But no matter what you did I believe you want to fix it and so does mom. You two are obviously meant for one another and I can't believe you're both torturing yourselves over this. If you want her back, which I know you do, then go get her. Stop trying to find the perfect way to apologize or make up for it; you can't. It is a sad truth. You can't just go and fix this and make everything disappear. When you fix this, because I know you will or I'll kick your ass, there's no forgiving and forgetting. There's forgiving and rebuilding."

"When did you become the love doctor?" Mac joked. He was beginning to lighten up over advice he actually understood.

"Whatever, one more thing…no, make that two more things."

"What?" Leaning back in his seat, Mac prepared for Tyler to jump him again.

"You love her right?"

"Duh." That was a stupid question to Mac; it was something he'd been asked many times in his relationship with Jo and he didn't understand why everyone kept asking if he always gave the same answer.

"And she loves you?" Tyler said it as a statement in his mind, knowing it was true but he had to see of Mac knew it was true.

"I…I don't know."

"Answer the damn question!" Tyler jumped up and flung a pillow at Mac. "She loves you, right?"

"Yes, I think!"

Tyler flung another pillow at Mac. "Wrong answer! No 'I think' or 'I don't know'. When you get her back you have to be absolutely, positively, hands down, one thousand and five percent, no fear, no doubt, no second thoughts sure. Do not, and I repeat; do not, walk up to her partially sure of what you want. I swear to God, Mac-"

Mac raised his hand to stop him. "You'll kick my ass if I do. I get it."

"You're sure?"

"Yes. I am absolutely, positively, hands down, one thousand and six percent, no fear, no doubt, no second thought sure."

Tyler nodded his head in approval. "Good, now about that second thing…" Mac barely had time to raise his eyebrow before Tyler landed a left hook right to his face. "Sorry, but you did hurt my mom and I did warn you."

Grumbling as he stood from his seat, Mac gently touched his eye. "Alright, I deserved that. Only because you're my step son and you give very good advice am I not charging you for assaulting a police officer."

"You're welcome, now go fix this mess or you're left eye is gonna look like the right one." After tossing Mac an ice pack, Tyler stood proudly as the man exited. He shook his head, smirking. "One down, one to go."

.

.

.

Tyler had just sat down awhile after Mac left when he heard a knock at his door. He smirked, hoping it was Mac coming back for more. He swung the door open, fists in the air. "I see you-mom?"

Jo eyed Tyler with a questioning gaze. "Yeah, were you expecting John Cena?"

Dropping his fists, Tyler moved to let Jo inside. "Um, something like that…what are you doing here?" He already had an idea.

"I just wanted to come see you. I missed you while you were abroad." Jo fell onto the leather couch. She widened her eyes at the newly decorated apartment; it was completely different from how she'd left it.

"Uh, huh…" Tyler snickered. "What's up?" He reclined back in his lazy chair, barely able to see Jo over his feet.

"Not much…what hasn't Ellie told you?" Her daughter had a gift for gab and trickery. The conversation would go a lot quicker if Jo didn't repeat what Tyler already knew.

"Haven't talked to her in awhile, actually. I heard up to you and Mac getting into a fight and now he has his own apartment. What's going on?" Tyler sat up slightly to give Jo the same concerned parental look she gave him when it was obvious he wasn't saying all he had in mind.

"He…uh…let's just say he did something stupid." Obviously Tyler was not going to learnt this big secret from either of them. He hit his head against the back of the chair in frustration.

"Yeah, that's specific. How have you been since this 'something stupid'?" Tyler sat up in the chair to look at Jo.

"I've been okay…better than can be expected." It was a miracle Jo had maintained her composure for so long. Her emotions threatened to drive her insane every day.

"Sure you have…" Tyler leaned over in the chair, his feet finally touching the ground. "Do I have to force you to stop pretending to have a real conversation with you?"

Jo was taken aback by his comment. It didn't completely shock her though; he was her son after all. It was a blessing and curse that they were so blunt. "Fine…I came here to talk to you…about Mac…and our marriage."

"Not that I don't feel appreciated but, uh…why?" Tyler understood Mac coming to him but his mother was a whole other thing. Not in a million years did Tyler think his own mom would come to him for advice. Though he did say she was a complex person. Her actions were never predictable; not for him anyhow.

Shrugging her shoulders, Jo answered, "I thought a male's point of view might help."

Tyler chuckled. "So you ask the single person…for marriage advice? Yes, because that makes so much sense, ma."

Jo grinned slightly. "Whatever…you forget, I'm your mother. I know how many girls you've dated. Not once have I heard you say that one of them left heartbroken or angry. You have to know something."

That was very true, but that 'something' wasn't something Tyler was willing to share with Jo. He'd take that to his grave if he had to. Instead he offered Jo the same advice he offered Mac. "Alright, the way I see this, it's simple."

Rising an eyebrow, Jo asked, "Oh, really?"

"Yes, you love Mac right?"

_Not this again…_ "Yes…"

"Okay, and he loves you?" Once again, it was a statement in his mind, but a question to Jo.

Jo frowned and ducked her head. "I don't know…"

Tyler jumped up and flung a pillow at his mother. "Answer the damn question."

"Tyler, did you just throw a pillow at me? And I know you didn't just swear in front of me!"

"Mom, stay focused! Answer the question!"

Jo huffed and threw the pillow back at Tyler. "I don't know! What if he doesn't?"

Tyler sighed and picked up another pillow. "You can play the 'what-if' game all day. Answer the question. I know you know the answer. Does Mac love you?"

Meekly, Jo replied, "Yes…"

"Stop hesitating." Tyler gently tossed the pillow at her. "I don't know why you keep pretending. No more 'I don't know', or 'I think', or hesitation. You are absolutely, positively, hands down, one thousand and five percent, no fear, no doubt, no second thoughts sure that you still love Mac and you want him back."

"Yeah…"

"That wasn't a question. I know how you feel, you know how you feel, I'm pretty sure Mac knows how you feels, hell, the whole damn state knows how you feel! Stop pretending like you don't know what to do because you're afraid of what he'll do. Trust in him. What did aunt Ari always tell us? Sometimes you have to give your heart to someone and see what they do with it." Tyler reclined back in his chair, obviously proud of his advice rant.

Jo grinned and threw a pillow at Tyler. "Since when did you start giving such good advice?"

"I don't know, but I'm thinking of making a profession out of it. I should get paid for good advice like that."

"Ha! You wish!" She stood and headed for the door. "Thank you, sweetie. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Oh, you wouldn't. You're life would be over without me." Tyler teased as he met his mom at the door.

"No, I think you're describing Mac."

**A/N: so no promises but this is probably the last chapter where Mac & Jo are separated *pause for celebration* YAY! i have a pretty good reconciling scene in mind...anyway unfortunately chapter 20 won't be up tomorrow :( i've been so distracted with my family these past few days i haven't had time to type! i'll try to get back in order and upload chapter 20 soon! stay tuned and please R&R! **


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: HEY! I'm back! so sorry it took a little while to upload this chapter! my spring break has ended and i'm back in school so it might be awhile between chapters :( fortunately for you, this chapter is super long (compared to the other ones anyway)! i honestly didn't plan for it to be this long but i think you deserve it for being so patient! enjoy and PLEASE R&R**

**A/N2: i used google translate for Mac's italian part so i apologize before hand if anything is incorrect **

Chapter 20

"It's all taken care of, sir." A voice said on the other end of Mac's office phone.

Without another word, Mac smiled and hung up the phone. The wheels were spinning rapidly in his head. After some much needed advice from Sid and Tyler, Mac had finally figured out how to get his wife back. It was just his luck that Jo's birthday was that day. Though he hadn't spent much time with her the last three months, his 'lab rats' gathered some much needed information about his beau's birthday wishes.

As the cinema of the night ahead played through his head, Mac almost missed Jo strolling past his office. He jumped out his seat and ran out the door. "Jo!" As he approached her, he noticed the sudden blush on her cheeks.

Jo tried to cover her excitement when she felt a foolishly large smile appear on her face. "Hey, what's up?"

Mac pulled her into his office and Jo's heart beat rapidly at his warm touch; something she hadn't felt in months and was longing for more than ever. "I wanted to ask you about your birthday plans. What are you doing tonight?"

"I don't know. Tyler and Ellie probably have something planned. Why?" Unconsciously, Jo was still gripping Mac's hand. Her face was calm with a light smile but on the inside she was bouncing off the walls. _I have a date with Mac…I have a date with Mac…_ She sing-sang in her head and giggled like a little school-girl.

"I was wondering if you would like to go out to dinner with me."

"Yes!" Jo answered without a thought. She was so excited she couldn't help but bounce a little on her toes. "Where are we going?"

"You'll have to wait until tonight to find that out. Can I pick you up at eight?"

"Yeah, I'll be ready." They were so busy smiling like idiots at each other they didn't notice Lindsay sneak into the office.

"Hey, guys…what's going on?" She stretched out the words as she raised an eyebrow at the two. "Jo, they found Celia Winston. You wanna go in interrogation with me?"

"Huh?" When Jo turned to see Lindsay's face she quickly dropped Mac's hand. "Oh, yeah; I'll be right there." She turned back to Mac with a wide smile. "I'll see you later."

Mac simply nodded and the ladies disappeared out his office. Outside Lindsay stopped in front of Jo. "What was that all about?"

"What? I don't know what you're talking about, Linds." Jo sped down the hall trying to cover her goofy smile from Lindsay.

Lindsay chased after her as they sped down the hall. "Oh, please Jo. You two were acting like two horny teenagers in there! Please, tell me you're getting back together. I can't stand seeing you two apart any longer."

"Maybe…he's taking me to dinner tonight for my birthday. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't overly excited." Jo bit her lip feeling her cheeks redden again.

Lindsay laughed in her head. Unbeknownst to Jo, she already knew of the basics of Mac's plan as she helped him plan it. It was all too easy learning of a restaurant Jo wanted to go to and her favorite song. That was the only information Mac wanted to know and he refused to tell Lindsay what he had in mind. "Well it's about damn time! We're all tired of you two dancing around each other like broken glass. I have a feeling…tonight, everything will be different."

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Ellie giggled in the doorframe of Jo's room. She had been standing there an hour watching her mother fuss and fight over every outfit she tried on, complaining about every single one. This was too tight, that was too loose, this was too casual, that was too fancy, this was too itchy; almost everything in her closet ended up in the 'definitely not' pile. There were two dresses in the 'maybe' pile, and of course, absolutely nothing in the 'definitely' pile. Ellie was almost on the floor from laughing as Jo stalked across the room, trying to find the perfect outfit.

Jo snatched up her watch and groaned at the time. "Dammit! I only have an hour to get ready." She threw the watch on the bed and ran back into her closet. She grabbed a handful of clothes and tossed them on the bed. After throwing them every which direction she ended up throwing them all on the floor and plopping on the bed. "I'm never going to be ready in time."

"Can we help?" Ellie asked, carrying Aurora into the bedroom.

Picking up Aurora, Jo smiled at Ellie. "Sure; though I think I'm a lost cause." Jo gestured toward her mountain of clothes.

"Please, you're just picky." Ellie placed her hands on her hips, the same pose Jo so frequently took. "I'll be right back." Ellie ran out the room and into her own bedroom. She went into her closet and reached into the far back to pull out a backless, black silk, knee-length dress.

Ellie remembered when Jo had taken her shopping for a homecoming dress and they came across the dress. Of course Ellie didn't like it but it was obvious Jo longed for it. That wasn't the purpose of their trip, so Jo didn't buy it but Ellie made note of it and had been saving up for months to buy it. The dress was Ellie's birthday gift to Jo and fortunately for her, Jo needed it desperately that night. Rubbing the soft, smooth fabric, Ellie folded up the dress and quickly tossed it in a gift bag. She ran back into the bedroom hiding the bag behind her back.

"Took you long enough; what's behind your back?" Jo asked, bouncing Aurora on her knee.

Ellie held the bag out to her. "Happy birthday, mom; I think you're gonna need this."

Placing Aurora on the floor, Jo took the bag and pulled out the silk dress. She held it against her as she looked in the mirror. "Oh, Ellie…this is…how did you…"

"I saw you looking at it when we were shopping. It took me forever to save up for it but I really wanted you to have it. Now you can show it off to dad."

Dropping the dress, Jo went over and hugged Ellie. "Thank you, sweetheart. This is…perfect."

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The doorbell rang as Ellie was putting the finishing touches on Jo. "Mom, hold still! I'm almost done!"

"Ellie, I could have done my makeup myself and hurry up; he's here!" Jo almost flipped off the bed when she heard the doorbell. She knew it was Mac and couldn't wait to get to her date, or whatever it was, with him. "Are you almost done?"

"Oh my gosh, you sound like a teenager on her first date. There," Ellie said as she put down the eye shadow. "You're done."

Jo jumped out her seat and ran to the bathroom mirror. She was astonished to see how well of a job Ellie had done. "Um, where did you get so much practice with makeup? Got something you wanna tell me?"

"Yeah, I'm getting the door!" Ellie burst out of the bedroom and darted for the door. She shouted down the hall right before answering the door, "Make an entrance!" Ellie flung open the door. "Dad!"

"Hi, sweetheart," Ellie jumped up to wrap her arms around his neck. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too! Wait until you see, mom. She's looks hot. Where are you taking her tonight? Is it romantic? You're treating, right? What time are you coming back? Can I know what happened?"

"Calm down, Ellie. I will tell you all about it later. Where is your mom?" As soon as he asked, Jo waltzed down the hall in her silk dress and high heels. She held her clutch purse in one hand while she played with a curl in her eye with the other. She looked up to see Mac at the door in a navy button-down and black slacks. It was his usual style but he looked so much sexier that night to Jo. "Wow…"

Surprised he'd managed even that much, Jo blushed and met him at the door. "Thanks; you owe this to Ellie though." Jo smoothed back her hair and kissed her forehead. "She was very helpful tonight."

"I bet…" Mac gazed at Jo for a moment, mesmerized by her simple elegance. Not that he hadn't found her beautiful before, but that night she was…stunning; jaw-dropping, eyes-widening, out of this world, make-you-stop-dead-in-your-tracks gorgeous. Noticing Mac's entrancement by her beauty, Jo blushed and twisted another curl in her hair. She smiled softly at him and let her eyes dance over his now shaven yet roguish face.

Ellie stared between the two, waiting for someone to speak. "Are you guys gonna stare at each other all night or actually go to dinner?"

"What? Oh, yeah…" Mac chuckled. He held his hand out to Jo and bowed. Jo giggled and took his hand as they walked out the door.

"Oh, Ellie; Aurora is in the playpen. I want you both in bed by nine. I love you."

"Yeah, yeah, love you too. I want you two back by one. Have fun!" Ellie waved as they climbed into the car and drove off.

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.

"Benvenuti al ristorante Gianni!" The doorman greeted Mac and Jo as they entered the restaurant.

Jo was hanging on Mac's arm and she tugged at it when she realized where they were. "Mac, are you serious? How did you know I wanted to come here?"

Mac smirked and shook his head. "Sorry, but I can't reveal my confidential informant." He led them to the host table. "Prenotazioni per Taylor?"

"Sì ... oh, tu sei signor Taylor? Signor Gianni ha salvato un tavolo speciale per voi e la vostra signora. Si prega di seguire me." The young host grabbed two menus and weaved them through between the tables to a private part of the restaurant. "Ecco vostro tabella, signor Taylor. Signor Gianni sarà qui in un momento per servirvi."

"Grazie." Mac thanked the waiter and pulled out a chair for Jo.

Once he was seated Jo leaned over the table to whisper to him. "You didn't tell me you spoke Italian."

"You never asked." Mac popped open his menu with a wink. Jo blushed and hid behind hers.

After a moment of reading it over, a round man with silver and brown hair and a matching silver-brown mustache appeared at their table. Except for the soft playing of the piano it was almost silent in the restaurant. His booming voice cut through it when he greeted Mac. "Il mio amico! E 'stato troppo a lungo! E 'bello vederti di nuovo."

Mac stood from his chair and hugged the plump man. "E 'bello vederti, pure, Gianni. Grazie per avermi aiutato con stasera." Jo watched, confusedly, as the two shook hands and continued hugging.

Chef Gianni gestured for Mac to sit back down. "Non era niente. Lo sai che avrebbe fatto qualsiasi cosa per il bene del romanticismo. E 'questa tua moglie?"

"Sì, questa è mia moglie Jo." The chef took Jo's hand in his and kissed it gently. "Jo, this is chef Gianni. He's an old friend of mine."

"Tu sei molto bella Jo. Mac deve sentirsi molto fortunata ad essere sposato con una donna come te." Gianni said smoothly to Jo. He kissed her hand again before Mac tapped his shoulder.

"Okay, Gianni. Arresto flirtare con mia moglie e prendere il nostro ordine." Mac folded up both their menus and handed them to Gianni. After tearing his eyes away from Jo, Gianni wrote down their orders and hurried back into the kitchen.

Jo turned back to Mac, with her hands flattened in front of her. "What was that all about?"

"Oh, nothing; I was just thanking him for making us reservations here." Mac reached across the table and pulled Jo's hands into his.

She blushed, for about the thousandth time that night, and gazed lovingly into his eyes. "You are a very clever man, Mac Taylor. I doubt that was all about some reservations."

"What? You don't trust me?" The words came out so quick, Mac forgot the underlining meaning. "Uh, don't answer that."

He was about to pull his hands back, but Jo held them tighter. "Why; afraid of the answer?"

"Honestly, yes; just a little." When Mac grinned at her, she smiled back, easing some of his nervousness. "After what I did, I wouldn't blame you if you didn't. I can't apologize enough to you to make up for it. There really is no making up for it. I can't undo what I did but if you can't ever trust or love me again, can I at least have your friendship? I can't lose you completely."

It was almost funny to Jo that he said that. She had long since forgiven him and she was surprised he thought he had even lost her friendship. That basic relationship was all they had for the past three months and Jo was eager to build on it again. She couldn't stand the thought of losing Mac either. "I'm here tonight, aren't I? That means something." That something meant she wanted him back, desperately. After all his apologizing and isolation and her tears and mental fights, they still wanted to be together. They couldn't explain what kept pulling them back to one another but it didn't matter. The fact was they loved each other and they would always come running back.

"I should hope it does or tonight would be very awkward for me…" Mac teased as he tilted his head to the side.

Jo was just about to ask him what he meant when Gianni and another waiter came by with their food. "La cena viene servita!" Gianni announced as he placed the plates on the table and kissed the air.

"Grazie, Gianni. Il cibo sembra meraviglioso." Mac spoke as he prepared to dig into his fettuccini alfredo pasta.

"Prego. Goditela!" Gianni disappeared back into the kitchen.

Mac and Jo dug into their food and moaned as they tasted some of the most delicious Italian food in New York. They gripped their stomachs after finishing their meal. "That was delicious…" Mac breathed out.

"I feel like I just gained five pounds from just the bread." Jo pushed her half empty plate further on the table. "I can't eat anymore…I'm too full."

A waitress came over and cleared their table. She quickly brought back two smaller menus. "Would you like dessert?"

"Yes!" Jo sat up in her seat and took one of the menus from the girl. "Thank you."

Mac covered his mouth as he laughed softly. "You just said you were full."

"So? I can always make room for tiramusù." She smirked and Mac simply laughed at her. He pushed his menu back to the edge of the table and looked at the swinging doors to the kitchen. "You're not going to get anything?"

"No."

"Why not?"

Mac winked at her and folded his hands. "You'll see…" Jo raised an eyebrow and was right about to ask him a question when he excused himself from the table. "I'll be right back." He stood from the table and headed for the kitchen. Jo followed him with her eyes, wondering what he had planned. He disappeared through the swinging doors.

Inside the kitchen, Mac found Gianni ordering around his assistances. "Gianni!" He called him over to the door. "Sono pronti?"

"Sì, sì; stanno aspettando per voi!" Gianni pushed Mac out of the kitchen to where the piano was set up. Gianni handed the man some papers and instructed him to play the music when Mac signaled him. The pianist nodded and Mac headed back to his table.

Jo whipped between Gianni, Mac, and the piano. "What was that about?" She asked when Mac came back the table.

"Not important; did you enjoy your dessert?" Mac gestured to the now empty plate of tiramusù and chocolate sauce.

"Yes, I did. It was wonderful…just like tonight. Thank you, Mac. This was a beautiful birthday gift." She leaned over the table and kissed him on the cheek.

Now it was Mac's turn to blush. "Um, you're welcome, but this wasn't your birthday gift."

"What? Then what is?" Jo watched as Mac stood from the table and pointed to the piano man.

"This is," The music started playing and Jo recognized a familiar song. Mac grabbed a microphone off the piano and came back to kneel in front of Jo. In the most soulful yet country voice he could, Mac began singing, "I can hear that rooster crowing down the road. I felt my eyes open up real slow and I looked around; making sure I hadn't checked out 'cause there was an angel lying next to me and I figured heaven where's I must be. Oh, but it was you and baby, what else could I do? In that bed I said a little prayer for one more day I'm still here. It's your world and I'm just in it; ain't no other way to spin it. Lucky me; just being there when I get to hold you. I'm just here to love you, girl; it's your world and I'm just passing through."

Mac jumped up and headed over to the piano. A waiter handed him a guitar and Mac continued singing as he played. "I dig my heels in and try to slow this down. I want my life to revolve around everything you do, aw but that's all up to you. Everything good seems to go so fast; it's kinda like one big party crash you weren't counting on. One day you're here and gone; baby, all I wanna do is lay right here and it hope it all don't disappear. It's your world and I'm just in it; ain't no other way to spin it. Lucky me; just being there when I get to hold you. I'm just here to love you, girl; it's your world and I'm just passing through."

Stepping off the platform, Mac handed the guitar back to the waiter. He took Jo by the hand as he finished the song. "It's your world and I'm just in it; ain't no other way to spin it. Lucky me; just being there when I get to hold you. I'm just here to love you, girl; it's your world and I'm just passing through. I'm just here to love you, girl; it's your world and I'm just passing through."

As the pianist finished the last few notes of the song the restaurant applauded Mac's performance. The noise faded in his ears as he repeated over in his head, '_Absolutely, positively, hands down, one hundred thousand and ten percent, no fear, no doubt, no second thoughts…' _ Mac took in a deep breath. He threw the microphone over his shoulder, grabbed Jo's waist, and crashed his lips into hers.

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The entire ride home, Jo was still in a state of shock. Her eyes were as wide open as her mouth and even with the wind blowing in her ears she thought she heard clapping. Mac was smiling so hard he felt like he would break his teeth. His plan had been accomplished and going far better than he planned. There was only one thing left that he had to do. With his mantra of being 'absolutely, positively, hands down, one hundred thousand and ten percent, no fear, no doubt, no second thoughts' sure, his confidence was shot through the roof. He would get his wife back that night.

Pulling into the driveway of the condo, Mac tried to pull Jo back to attention. "Jo, honey; can you hear me?" He waved his hand in front of her face but she was still in a trance. Mac chuckled and climbed out of the car. He ran over to her side and opened the door. Jo just sat there frozen in her own world. "You leave me no choice." Mac huffed as he picked Jo up out of the car and held her in his arms. He kicked the door with his foot and carried her to the door. Just as Mac was about to reach for his keys, Jo came to.

"What the hell?" Mac placed her on her feet and smiled brightly.

"It's about time. Damn, I knew I was good but I didn't know I was that good." He pushed back a curl in her face.

Jo just stared into his eyes as his warm touch caressed her face. She finally managed to stammer out, "Do you want to come inside?" With a simple nod of the head Jo pulled out her keys and unlocked the door. She pulled Mac by the hand but he stopped at the entrance way. "What?"

"Jo, when I walk through this door I'm never leaving again." Even with his serious tone, Mac smiled and squeezed Jo's hand.

With just as bright a smile, Jo winked at him. "When you walk through this door, I won't let you leave again."

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"Do you know what time it is? Where the hell are you?" Lindsay shouted on the other end of the phone. It was now eleven o'clock, making Mac and Jo officially six hours late for work. Jo shot up (or tried to as Mac's arm was across her chest) in a panic at the sound of Lindsay's voice.

"Oh, my god!" She glanced over at the clock and almost had a heart attack. "I am so sorry. We overslept and I didn't hear my alarm go off! Give us an hour and we'll be there."

"We? Who is-" A few thoughts passed through Lindsay's mind and she grinned like a Cheshire cat. "Did Mac stay over last night? Hold on, back track; what happened at dinner? Did he come home with you? You two slept together didn't you? That's why you're so late!"

Jo smacked her forehead at her slip of the tongue. "One hour; I'll talk to you later." She clicked the phone off and crawled out of the bed. Pulling on her clothes, she decided to let Mac sleep while she got up Ellie and Aurora. Mac stirred in the bed when he realized she wasn't there.

"Jo…Jo!" He shot up and looked frantically around the room. He turned to the closet and plopped back down in the sheets when he saw her. "Phew…thought you left me."

"No, but I'm about to."

"What?" Mac jumped out the bed and rushed over to her.

"Relax; I have to go get Ellie and Aurora up. It's eleven o'clock. We are so past late. I told you we didn't have time for…you know what this morning." Jo rubbed her hand over his bare chest and her eyes rolled back at the thought of last night…and that morning.

"Oh, yeah…forgot about them…" Mac released his hold around Jo and went to the dresser draws for clothes. "I'll get dressed; you get them; we'll meet at the car." He stated his plan as he started to pull on his suit. When Jo smiled oddly at him, he stopped. "What? Why are you smiling like that?"

"You said 'we'." Jo kissed his cheek and ran out the bedroom door. She wasn't too surprised to see Ellie waiting impatiently at the breakfast bar. However she was surprised when she saw Aurora in her highchair and the babysitter, Cynthia, flipping pancakes over the stove.

"Uh, Cynthia? What are you doing here?" Jo asked as she entered the kitchen.

The pale red head whipped around with a bright smile on her face. "Hi, Mrs. Taylor! Um, I was worried when you didn't come by with Aurora this morning so I called and Ellie said you were still asleep so I rushed right over! I hope you don't mind; I was going to drive Ellie to school too but she wanted to wait for you. Oh, and I made you pancakes if you're hungry. Here you go," The young girl handed her a plate stacked with pancakes and syrup.

Jo took the plate and passed it right back onto the counter. "Thanks but we're already late as it is and Ellie has to get to school. Feel free to just throw those in the freezer, though. They look delicious."

"Okay!" Cynthia said cheerily before turning back to the stove.

"Ellie, get your stuff. We'll be waiting in the car." Jo was just about to head out the door when Ellie noticed her second slip of the tongue.

"Wait, 'we'? Is dad here? Did he stay over last night? Where is he?" Ellie jumped off the bar stool and bounced on her toes in front of Jo.

"Get your stuff; we'll be in the car." Jo shouted as she walked back into the bedroom. Mac met her at the door and they headed out to the car together.

Ellie quickly followed suit behind them. "Dad!" The teen jumped on him from behind. "You're back! I missed you!"

Mac nearly toppled over but he kept his balance. He pulled Ellie to his front. "Hi, sweetheart; I missed you too."

"So…" Ellie's smile asked her unspoken question. As part of her deal with Mac she'd promised to not pry in their relationship. Now when hope was looking up, she couldn't stand to be patient.

"Yes, sweetheart; we're back together."

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Hand in hand, Mac and Jo entered the lab. They received many stares and whispers from on-looking co-workers but the rest of the world was lost on them. They could care less what everyone else said. They were finally where they should be; back together.

The love sick couple entered Mac's office and was frightened by Lindsay's sudden appearance. She was smiling oddly at them. "Well," Lindsay started. "If it isn't the happy couple…late for work…by seven hours."

The two blushed at one another before turning back to Lindsay. "I'm so sorry, Linds. We just got…caught up…" Jo winked at Mac from his side.

"I can't wait to find out all the juicy details. First; Mac, here is the case file." She pulled out a folder from under her arm and handed it to Mac. "Danny and Hawkes are processing some DNA found at the scene; Flack is still interviewing some witnesses; Sid just started in autopsy; Adam is looking for some info on the vic from her laptop and cell phone; and we," Lindsay looped her arm through Jo's. "are going to lunch. I've been doing your job all morning and I'm taking a break. I deserve that much!"

Mac backed up from the women and headed for his desk. "I'm not even going to argue with you. Have fun," With a wave of the hand, Mac was entranced by the case and the ladies were out the door.

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"Spill, now; we've only got…" Lindsay glanced at her watch. "Twenty minutes before someone finds something and we'll get dragged back to the lab." Linds clutched her coffee cup as she leaned over the plastic table outside the café.

"Oh, uh…I don't know where to start." Jo leaned back seeing the eagerness on Lindsay's expression.

"Who cares? Just start somewhere!"

"Okay! Well, he took me to that new restaurant on seventh; Gianni's. He knows I love Italian food so that just made it all the better. Did you know Mac knows Italian? God, that was so sexy when he started speaking Italian to the chef." Placing her hand over chest, Jo exaggerated the new power Mac now held over her.

"Oh, how romantic; go on!" Lindsay smirked in her head. She already knew Mac could speak Italian. She knew that he was going to take Jo to Gianni's and she knew that he'd sung Jo's favorite song to her. Lindsay had been prying information from Jo for weeks to help Mac; now she got to hear how it all played out.

"It was; but that was just the least of it. Linds, he sang to me. Mac Taylor actually sang to me. And I couldn't believe it but he sang Passing Through by Jason Aldean. I don't know how, but I have a feeling he knew; he just knew that is now my favorite song in the world! God, his voice…his voice was so beautiful and hearing him sing that song to me was…it was…amazing." The whole night was replaying itself in Jo's mind and she almost fell out of her chair imagining Mac's hands grabbing her waist and pulling her to him and their tongues wrestling and-

"Jo! Earth to Jo!" Lindsay waved her hand in front of Jo's zoned out expression.

"What? Oh, sorry…but, did you know he could sing like that? And he plays guitar!" Lindsay shook her head and let Jo continue with her story, even though she already had a feeling where it was going. "I was totally shocked. I didn't even come to until he'd driven me home…and then…well, obviously you know the rest from that phone call this morning."

"What? You can't just stop there! I want details!" Lindsay urged on.

Jo shook her head. "No…I'll leave the rest up to your creative, yet perverted, imagination." They stood from the table and headed back for the lab.

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_Fuck! Kill me now! _Mac thought when a black town car pulled up beside him on the sidewalk. The window rolled down to reveal the eighty year old version of Jo; otherwise known as his mother-in-law. It was around four o'clock and Jo had just forced him out to get something to eat. It was just his luck he would run into the one woman on earth that had a personal vengeance against him. Jane Lynn Danville not only shared her youngest daughter's looks but also her personality; except twenty times worse. The woman was as sharp as a tack, stubborn as a mule, and could cut a giant down to a midget with one glare. It had always been Mac's fear that Jo's father would disapprove of him but it turned out her mother was the bigger problem. Even after being married to Jo, Mac was still unsure whether Jane Lynn liked him or not; though he figured the latter. Mac's expression fell for only a second and he grinned lightly at Jane Lynn.

"Mrs. Danville, it's good to see you again. What are you doing in New York?" Jane Lynn was the pure definition of a country gal. She loathed the city life…with a passion. With the exception of her grandson's graduation, Jo and Mac's wedding, and to meet Aurora, Jane Lynn avoided New York like the plague.

True to Jo's personality, Jane Lynn was quick and blunt. Her southern accent overruled every syllable she spoke. "I hear Mrs. Danville and I look over my shoulder for my mother-in-law. It is Jane Lynn or mama, Mr. Mac. And we need to talk."

"Right; what do you want to talk to me about?" Confused, Mac took a step closer to the car. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes," Jane Lynn drawled. "Arianna told me 'bout you and my baby's 'marital issues.' I wanna know what the hell's goin' on with ya two and why my baby called her sister in tears just a few weeks ago." Jane Lynn's expression had yet to falter with every word she said. It was one of many things about her that actually frightened Mac. Whether she was angry, sad, happy, or frightened; which was a rarity, Jane Lynn kept the same serious face. She was impossible to read which actually made her more intimidating.

This was all news to Mac and though it was a bit shocking he didn't take it all too seriously. It was old news; he and Jo were back together and he didn't want to dwell on the past. He knew better, from Tyler's warning, not to just forgive and forget but it was just easier to bury the past. "Oh, Jane Lynn, we-"

Just as Mac was about to explain, Jane Lynn pushed open the car door to reveal Arianna and Tyler sitting next to her. "Mac, I think we need to take a ride."

Mac's eyes widened at the thought; stuck in a car with the three people on the planet that probably wanted to murder him at the moment. Deciding he'd rather not commit suicide that afternoon, Mac stepped back from the car. "Uh, no…that's okay. I think I'll stay out here…in the open…with witnesses…"

Tyler, Arianna, and Jane Lynn all narrowed their eyes at him. Jane Lynn stated flatly, "Get in the car."

Mac swallowed the lump in his throat. "Yes, ma'am." He climbed in the car and prayed he'd step back out again.

**A/N: uh oh...Mac's in a little trouble...don't worry; i wouldn't hurt Prince Mac! chapter 21 could be awhile coming as i really don't know where in the world to do with this story now :/ any suggestions? I live to please the audience! please R&R**

**A/N2: almost forgot the translation for the dinner date! Here you go:**

**Host: **"**Welcome to Gianni's restaurant!" **

**Mac: "Reservations for Taylor?" **

**Host: "Yes…oh, you are Mr. Taylor? Mr. Gianni has saved a special table for you and your wife. Please follow me." "Here is your table, Mr. Gianni will be here in a moment to serve you."**

**.**

**Gianni: **"**My friend! It's been too long! It's good to see you again." **

**Mac: "It's good to see you too, ****Gianni. Thank you for helping me with tonight."**

**Gianni: "It was nothing. You know I would do anything for a little romanticism. Is this your wife?"**

**Mac: "**Yes, this is my wife Jo." ****

****Gianni: "You are very beautiful Jo." ****

****Mac: "Stop flirting with my wife and take our orders."****

****.****

****Gianni: "**Dinner is served!" ******

******Mac: "Thank you, Gianni. It looks delicious." ******

******Gianni: "You're welcome. Enjoy!"******

******.******

******Mac: "Are they ready?" ******

******Gianni: "Yes, yes; they are waiting on you!"******


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: hi! so i finished this chapter a lot sooner than i expected so here you go! i'm almost done with this story :( there will probably two or three more chapters unless my brain spontaneously decides to throw awesome ideas at me to add to it! thanks so much to NYPD8433 for giving me the idea for a good majority of this chapter and the next! one last thing, as you will read below this is about six years after chapter 20! i wasn't sure about Lucy's age on the show so i guess she's about eleven or twelve at this point (sorry if that sounds off) anyway i'm done rambling! enjoy and please R&R**

Chapter 21

_Six years later_

"Aurora- Sophia Evelyn Taylor, get your butt down from there right now!" Jo shouted when she came into the kitchen and found Aurora standing on top of the granite counter top.

The five year old spun around and turned bright red; a criminal caught red handed. She sat down and jumped off the counter, standing under the porcelain cookie jar. "Morning, mommy…" She said meekly, with a thumb in her mouth. It had become a nervous habit of hers. Every time she knew she was caught, she'd suck her thumb like a baby.

"Don't 'morning, mommy' me! What were you doing standing on the counter? You could have fallen and broken your neck!" Her voice was trembling at the thought of her not being there had Aurora fallen off the counter and hurt herself. Jo pulled her out of the kitchen and stood in the walkway between the living room and kitchen.

"I wanted a cookie…" Aurora said softly again. She figured she might as well tell the truth as she was already caught. That policy seemed to work better with Mac than Jo. Then again, everything seemed to work better with Mac. Aurora really got punished if Mac caught her; the worst was a warning and even then it wasn't that threatening.

"So you climbed onto the counter to get a cookie? Aurora- Sophia, that is extremely dangerous and you could have hurt yourself! I have told you a million times; you only get cookies when you behave and when mommy or daddy gets them down for you." Jo's heart was still racing from the sight of her baby girl possibly falling and cracking her skull open. Her voice had risen an octave without her notice and Aurora was growing more and more frightened.

Tears welled up in Aurora's eyes and her chest rose erratically as she tried to hold down the giant lump in her throat. Getting in trouble was a common thing with the child, but normally Mac caught her and let her go with a warning. Never had Aurora seen Jo so angry and upset. "I-I-I'm s-so-rry!" Aurora broke out in tears and ran down the hall into Jo's bedroom.

"Aurora, wait!" Jo called after her.

Aurora burst into the bedroom and went flying onto the bed, burying her face in the pillows. Mac, who had been in the bathroom, walked out at the sudden noise. A little ball of pink and purple was curled up in his navy blue sheets, sobbing. He laid on the bed next to her and gently rubbed her back. "What's wrong princess?" He asked sweetly.

Picking her head up, Aurora turned to Mac with tear lines running down her puffy cheeks. She wiped at her eyes and crawled into Mac's lap. Mac gently rocked her as she let out the last of her sobs. "Mommy yelled at me…" Aurora breathed.

"Well, she must have had good reason to and I'm sure she didn't mean to make you cry." Mac soothed her with his velvet voice.

"Mommy was really angry…and scared…"

Mac looked down at Aurora whose face was buried in his chest. "Scared? Of what?" A thousand thoughts shot through Mac's mind and he picked up Aurora as he stood from the bed.

"I dunno know. She just looked scared." Aurora had calmed completely now and was clinging to Mac's neck. Her hazel- brownish eyes twinkled as the tears dried and she grinned slightly seeing the expression on Mac's face. He looked like a superhero to her with his determined glare and head tilted slightly to the side as he thought.

Mac strode out of the bedroom, holding Aurora against his waist. He found Jo in the kitchen leaning over the breakfast bar with her head in her hands. "Honey, what's wrong?"

Jo looked up at the sound of his voice; slight terror was still etched in her features. Ignoring Mac's question, Jo went right for Aurora. The child climbed out of Mac's arms and flew into Jo's. "I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean to scare you but you really scared mommy. Please, don't ever do that again."

"What did she even do?" Mac mouthed behind them.

"Would you like to tell daddy what happened?" Jo asked Aurora.

"Um…I climbed on top the counter to get a cookie and mommy caught me. Then mommy got really angry and upset and scared." Aurora stuck her thumb back in her mouth to show her worry of what Mac would say next.

In a calm but firm tone, Mac said, "Aurora-Sophia, you know better."

"I know…I'm sorry…"

Aurora was about to turn back into Jo's arms when Mac asked her, "Sorry for what?"

"Sorry for getting on the counter and making mommy scared." She kissed Jo's cheek to emphasize her apology.

"Thank you, angel." Jo said simply and placed Aurora on the floor.

Mac bent down to her height and looked her straight in the eyes. "Aurora, you are five years old. You know better than to climb on top of the counter. And you certainly know better than to run crying to you- correction; our- room when you're mother is taking to you. Only little babies act that way."

Placing her hands on her hips, Aurora huffed. "I'm not a little baby! I'm a big girl!"

"Well, you're not acting like one."

"No, I am!" Aurora whined again. "I am 'cause I have a boyfriend!"

The statement almost made Mac faint. He gathered himself again before pulling his head back up to Aurora's. "Excuse me?" Unsure if they'd even heard her correctly, Jo and Mac asked the question simultaneously.

Completely unfazed by their shock, Aurora answered excitedly. "Yeah! He's in my class at school and his name is Seb and he has a one hundred twenty box of crayons and he gave me all the pink and purple ones and I gave him all my blue and green ones. And at snack time he let me eat his cookie 'cause he doesn't like chocolate chip and I let him have my fruit cup. Mommy, can you stop packing those 'cause I don't like them." Aurora had turned from Mac to Jo at least a dozen times in her last ramble.

The expressions on Mac and Jo were priceless. Their eyes were wide as they stared into space. The hell they would go through with a daughter in her teen years was scary enough without imagining all of that starting ten years early. At the very word 'boyfriend' Mac had thought of meeting this punk and taking him for a ride in his police car until he remembered this 'punk' was five years old. Not the best idea to show a kindergartener his service weapon and threaten to use it on him if he touched his little girl. Mac shook his head and held Aurora's shoulders. "Princess, do you even know what that means?" Mac prayed to god she didn't.

"Yeah, it means we hold hands on the playground and we sit next to each other and-" Aurora stopped when she noticed the odd expressions on her parents faces. "What?" She scrunched up her face like Jo when she was determined to figure out a criminal.

Jo bent down next to Mac to speak to Aurora. "Honey, you're too young to have a boyfriend." She tried to speak sweetly as not to upset Aurora.

"No, I am not!" Aurora stomped her foot on the ground. "How come Ellie can have one but I can't?" The five year old pouted out her lip and widened her eyes to give the impression of a puppy.

Mac let his heart melt at the face for a second before snapping back to attention. "Wait, Ellie doesn't have a boyfriend. Where did you hear that?" The thought of both his daughters having boyfriends had Mac's head spinning. It wasn't as bad if it was just Aurora; she was in kindergarten for God's sake. All another boy had to do was offer her his jello and she'd claim she'd fallen in love again. Ellie was a whole other situation. She was now twenty two and off at college. Now a full grown adult and in a whole other state; Mac couldn't watch over and protect her everywhere she went. He had to trust she would make the right decisions. Talk of a boyfriend was not on his list of right decisions, however.

"When she came back for break. She was talking like you and mommy at bedtime on the phone with a boy." Aurora narrowed her eyes at her mother and father trying to figure out what was so important about this information.

"Talking like us?" Mac asked imagining the millions of things Aurora could have overheard him and Jo saying. A majority were not things he wanted to hear his daughter say.

The couple stood up and gave each other a look. There was a long talk with Ellie ahead of them. Lucky for them, thanksgiving was right around the corner and that would give them the chance to meet this 'boyfriend' of hers. If Mac had anything to do about it, Ellie would be single on her way back to college.

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"So I hear Ellie and Aurora are getting married." Danny teased when he came into Mac's office Monday afternoon. The whole team had been joking about it all day. Jo had slightly over exaggerated when she said Mac almost had a heart attack at the thought of his little girls being stolen away from him by some boys.

"That's not funny." Mac stated flatly with a slight grin on his face.

"Nah, that's funny! How is it that a five year old has a boyfriend? How did you let that slip past you?" Danny came over to take a seat in the leather chair in front of Mac's desk.

"I don't even know. I'm not worried about Aurora, though. It's Ellie that worries me; or rather this boyfriend of hers. She didn't say anything when she was here for break but I guess that was expected. She's an adult now and it's not like I could have told her no. I couldn't even tell her no when she was in high school. Now that was hell…" Mac rubbed his temples at the memory of the multiple boys Ellie brought home. Lucky for him, he'd either chase them off or Ellie would break up with them for whatever reason. A heartbreaker like her mother, Mac thought.

"Ellie's a smart girl; I'm sure she'll bring someone home that you'd approve of. What does Jo think?" Jo hadn't said much about the situation as far as Danny knew. He got his information second hand from Lindsay.

"I don't know; we haven't had a chance to talk about it yet. Obviously she knows where I stand." Mac leaned back into his chair and let the silence loom for a moment. "Actually, I sort of want to know what Tyler will think of this; his two little sisters having boyfriends."

"Oh, yeah, Tyler! He's what now; thirty?"

"Legally yes; in his head he's turned twenty one ten times now." Mac chuckled. "Like mother, like son; apparently I'm married to a twenty five year old."

"That's something; twenty five with twenty-one, twenty-two, and six year old kids!" They laughed harmoniously. "But about Tyler; what do you think he'll say?"

Mac shook his head. "I don't know, but if I'm lucky he'll want to join me in my 'chat' with Ellie's boyfriend."

Danny chuckled again. "I feel sorry for the kid already…and Aurora's little boyfriend."

"Let me ask you something, Danny. Did Lucy ever have a boyfriend when she was Aurora's age?" Mac's goddaughter was now twelve and he saw her frequently when he dropped Aurora off at school. She'd grown into quite a beautiful young lady and almost the exact image of Lindsay with lighter hair. The dads often wondered why their daughters took after their mothers in looks and their fathers in attitudes. Payback for their actions as kids seemed an unfair trade.

"Oh yeah, she had so many 'boyfriends' I lost track! Let's see; from kindergarten there was Jacob, Eli, Kyle, Adrian, Fred, Damon and Ramon; they were twins. Um, then there was Quint, Greg, Cameron, Sam, Will, Oliver, Patrick, Nathan, Bobby, Jeremy, Zach, Tim, Henry, Ryan…" The list kept coming as Danny ticked off on his fingers.

Mac simply stared in horror and amusement. "Whoa, whoa, wait; you're not telling me an eleven year old has had that many boyfriends."

"Yeah, right! A majority were from kindergarten to third grade where they probably just shared lunches and played together on the playground; nothing to really worry about. Oh, I gotta tell you who my favorite was." Mac leaned in closer urging Danny to continue. "Danny,"

"She 'dated' a kid with the same name as you?" Mac asked stunned.

"No, no, she and Linds were fighting about something one day and it turned kinda comedic and Lucy said that I loved her more and Linds is like 'I met him first!' So Lucy says 'well, daddy is my boyfriend so I win!'" Danny stopped as he and Mac laughed hysterically. "I can't tell ya how hard me and Linds laughed over that! Lucy was utterly confused but it was so funny! I hope she keeps that advice for as long as possible."

"What advice?"

"I told Luce that a boyfriend should be her like her best friend. He should be loving, funny, supportive, and treat her how she wants to be treated; if she can't find that in him than he isn't worth her time." Danny sat back in his seat, proud of dropping his knowledge on Mac. "Apparently, I was her best friend at the moment!"

"That's good advice. I'm gonna use that when El and her boyfriend and Seb come over." Mac stood from his desk and started for the door.

Danny copied his motion as he followed him down the hall. "Hey, can I get some credit? And who is Seb?"

"That is Aurora's boyfriend. We invited him over for a play-date with Aurora. He's coming over this weekend. As is Ellie and Tyler. Ellie's on thanksgiving break and Tyler said he has some news for us; probably a job promotion or something." Mac was ecstatic to have his family for the next week; mostly because for the first year, his mother and sister in law wouldn't be able to make it. As soon as Jo had told him, he hadn't even bothered to ask why. He just snatched her up and kissed her. Jo was quite shocked by his reaction but they were too busy tearing each other's clothes off to ask questions.

Danny smirked. "This is going to be one interesting weekend."

.

.

.

"Aurora- Sophia Evelyn! Get back here right now!" Jo hollered as she chased after her daughter. The child had just jumped out of the bathtub and was proceeding to run through the house wrapped in a towel. "Aurora- Sophia, come here right now!"

"No!" Aurora giggled as she darted around the couch. Her mother followed quickly behind but she was no match for this highly energized and eccentric child of hers.

The two ran circles around the house before Aurora ran smack into Mac. He stood heroically at the entrance to the hallway as Aurora fell onto the carpet. She picked herself up and brushed herself off then shrieked, "Daddy!" Raising her arms up to him, she bounced on her feet.

Mac bent over and picked her up. Her long curly locks of dark brown were still dripping wet and dampened his shoulder. "Hey, this is a new shirt!" He teased as he held Aurora sideways in his arms and swung around in a circle.

"Mac, stop playing with her. She's supposed to be getting dressed." Jo tried to sound authoritative but she couldn't help with smile at the sight before her.

"Noooooooo…" Aurora yelled as she continued spinning. Mac came to a slow stop and bent down to her level as he placed her on the floor. She frowned slightly at the end of her trip.

"Alright, angel, you have to get dressed so you can look nice for Seb, and Ellie, and Tyler. Okay?" Aurora nodded her head and little droplets of water hit the carpet as he ruffled her hair playfully.

Swooping up Aurora, Jo headed back into the bedroom. Just as they'd left there was a knock at the door. Mac went to open it and was greeted by a young man that Mac guessed to be about mid thirty to early forties. He had short cropped black hair and a light mustache. His grayish-hazel eyes were as striking as the bright smile he flashed when Mac opened the door. The small boy bearing a striking resemblance to the man was presumed his son. Taking a hand off the boy's shoulder, the man held out a hand to Mac. They shook and Mac said, "Hey, you must be Seb's father; Mac Taylor."

"Hey, yeah, Tony Bouvier; and this is my son Seb. Say hi, Seb," Tony whispered in Seb's ear when he bent over.

The boy held out his hand out to Mac. "Sebastian Marcello Bouvier; nice to meet you, sir." His little voice said politely.

Taking Seb's hand, Mac shook it gently. "Wow, I'm impressed with your manners, Sebastian. It's nice to meet you, too. Please, come in."

The two entered the condo and took in the sight. "Nice place," Tony started. "Wife decorated, right?" He gently nudged Mac on the arm.

"Thanks and yeah…it's better this way though. If you'd seen it before you'd have said it should have been condemned." Mac joked back. He was quickly warming to Tony.

"Excuse me, Mr. Taylor," Seb tugged on Mac's pant leg. "Where is Aurora?"

Mac was once again stunned by Seb's manners. "She's getting dressed right now. She'll be out in a minute." Mac assured the child. "If you go down the hall, the third door on your left is her toy room. You can wait in there if you'd like."

Seb looked to his father for approval. Tony nodded and Seb walked off down the hall. After he'd gone, Mac turned to Tony. "He sure has some manners."

"You can thank or curse his mother for that. Everyone says he is wise beyond his years because of it but I think he should relax some. He's only five; I don't think he should be so well mannered and polite. Not that I want him acting like a hooligan around strangers!"

The gentleman laughed. Mac then noticed the slight accent both Tony and Seb carried. "I noticed you both have an accent."

"Yeah, as you can tell from my last name, I'm French. Grew up there for a few years then my family moved to New Orleans. Worked there as a cop for a long time until I met Seb's mom. After Seb was born we went to France to visit some family, vacationed in Greece for a bit, then back to New Orleans and now we're here. I guess I gained my accent back while in France. Seb has a little of both my French accent and his mom's Greek accent."

Mac picked up on the thing that interested him most. "You're a cop? My wife and I are detectives here in New York." Mac was growing more and more interested in Tony Bouvier.

"Oh, cool! Nice to meet a fellow officer. Seb's mom and I are also cops but she retired awhile ago and works as a private detective now. She's obsessed with helping people find the truth behind their past; if you knew her you'd understand." Tony spoke almost solemnly but still proud of his wife.

Instantly, Mac thought of Stella. "Yeah, I know someone like that."

They nodded their heads at one another understandingly. "So, what about your wife?" The foolish grin that curled Mac's lips said more than any words could have. Tony chuckled. "Never mind, I think you said more than you meant to with that grin."

Mac chuckled himself and looked down the hallway where his and Jo's bedroom were. "Yeah…we've been married almost seven years. I don't know what I'd do without her."

"Sounds like how I feel about Seb's mom." Tony and Mac stared into space a minute just imagining their counter parts.

Suddenly suspicion arose in Mac. The detective mode in him never turned off. "Um, may I ask why you keep referring to her as 'Seb's mom'? Just a funny way of putting it, if you ask me."

"Oh, uh, legally we're not married so I don't usually refer to her as my wife." Tony shrugged his shoulders at his awkward explanation.

Mac was just about to question him again when Aurora came sprinting down the hallway. "Seb!" The boy's name was stretched out as Aurora screamed it down the hall.

"Aurora-Sophia, lower your voice!" Jo snapped, embarrassed with a guest in the house.

"Sorry, mommy…" Aurora whispered as she came out of the hallway. She searched the room for her 'boyfriend' and pouted when he was nowhere to be found. Seb then came strolling out of the toy room with a big, bright, goofy smile on his face.

"Aurora!" Seb hollered as he ran to his 'girlfriend'. They hugged each tightly and held one another's hands.

Mac mouthed 'young love' which had all the adults chuckling. Aurora dragged Seb over to Jo. "Mommy, can I show Seb my swings?" Jo nodded and the two raced outdoors.

"What are we gonna do with them?" Tony asked as he and Jo shook their heads. "I would like to see this swing set as well. Mrs. Taylor, would you mind?" He gestured with his hand to the back door.

"Oh, a charmer; Mac, I think you need to take notes." Jo winked at him and threw him a kiss before they headed outside.

Mac was just about to make a smart comment when there was a knock at the door. At the door was a chocolate toned, young man, with curly, black hair barely centimeter above his scalp. He shifted uncomfortably at the door, obviously not expecting Mac to answer.

"Oh, I'm sorry; I must have the wrong house." He started, staring at a sheet of paper in his hand. "Do you know where the Taylors live?"

Mac opened the door wider. "No, you're at the right place. You must be Jason Langston, Ellie's boyfriend." The words spilled out of Mac's mouth. He hadn't even met the kid and he was already distrustful him.

"Oh, yeah; are you like her butler or something?" Jason asked stupidly as he prepared to enter the house.

Closing the door slightly, Mac blocked his entrance. "I'm her father." He stated with a low and terrifying voice.

Jason backed up slowly as if he were about to retreat. "Oh…" He said simply and scratched his head.

Mac shook his head. "If you try to keep your foot out of your mouth and your hands off my daughter, I'll try not to 'accidentally' shoot you with my service weapon and let you into my home; understood?"

The college student simply nodded and walked through the door with his tail between his legs. He quickly scanned the room searching for his saving grace; Ellie.

"She's not here, yet." Mac answered for him. Jason spun around and stood at attention to Mac. "Why didn't you two come together?"

"Um, I had to make a pit stop at my parent's house and I thought I'd be late. I guess not…" He mumbled the sentence and tried not to stare into Mac's piercing eyes. Jason feared he'd disintegrate if he even tried to look into the pits of hell.

"I guess not." Mac bit back sharply. "How did you meet my daughter anyway? What are your intentions with her? How old are you? What are you majoring in? Do you have a life plan?" Through all his questioning, Mac remained completely still with his arms crossed over his chest.

Jason opened his mouth to answer but he couldn't get the words out. Breathing in deeply, he calmed himself as much as possible before replying. "We met at the gym one weekend and she was lost. I'm twenty four and I'm majoring in business and marketing with a minor in international politics. I do not have a life plan but I do know what I would like to do which is open my own international business that hires kids to create their own business. I believe kids are extremely creative and imaginative and most do not have the opportunity to make their dreams come true. I would like to do that for them."

"You missed a question and that sounds quite expensive and nonrealistic. What is your family background? Where do you plan to come up the money for a project like this?"

"I know and I'll get to that in a moment. I believe my business, it is not a project, is not as unrealistic as you think. My ancestry began in Ghana and we immigrated to the U.S. sometime around the early nineteen hundreds. My family is known for their outrageous, yet successful, business ventures and we are quite wealthy. Not to sound like a hypocrite, but even if my business did not work out well I would still be able to support your daughter which I believe is what you were hinting at earlier. Unfortunately, I do not have many intentions with your daughter. I came in this relationship with all my heart and I did not expect her to do the same. If she believes that she wants to spend the rest of her life with me than that is for you to ask her, not me." Jason tried to restrain the smirk that was forming on his face.

Mac noticed and hid his as well. "Some would say that's almost arrogant of you."

"I'm a lot of things, Mr. Taylor but arrogant is not one of them."

"Why don't you just answer my question then? What do you want out of this relationship?"

Jason paused for only a second to debate the question. Whether he answered it or not, he had reason to fear for his life. "Honestly, sir, I think I'm in love with Ellie. I would like to spend the rest of my life with her."

"I sense doubt in your voice, young man." This was becoming quite amusing to Mac now.

"Because there is doubt in my voice." Jason paused to see Mac's reaction. There was a slight grin but overall he remained stoic and serious. "I may not look it, but I have experienced a lot of heartbreak in my life and though I have sworn my heart to Ellie I do not expect her to do the same. We've only dated for a few months. If Ellie feels the same about me as I do about her then I'm sure she'll let us both know. I assume you didn't find out about us until recently from the way you're interrogating me."

"I'm not interrogating you but yes that is true. If Ellie thought your relationship was strong enough to introduce you to the family then she must feel something for you. I don't know what that is, but I for one am quite fond of you now." Mac smiled and held out his hand to Jason.

With a large breath, Jason let his shoulders drop and loosely shook Mac's hand. "Oh, thank God! I am so sorry about that comment at the door! I swear, Ellie didn't tell me and I tend to assume things and stick my foot in my mouth and I didn't mean anything by it!"

"Calm down, son! As long as you have the best intentions with my daughter, I think we'll get along just fine." Mac smacked him on the shoulder with one last friendly warning. "Her mom and little sister are outside. You'll definitely have better luck with them; no interrogation."

Jason smiled and headed outside. As he left, there was another knock at the door. Mac sighed as he strode over to it. Tyler and a young blonde greeted him. The blonde smiled brightly with perfectly pearl white teeth. It was obvious she had worn braces as a child; they were perfectly straight. Her straight, beach blond hair glowed in the setting sunlight. Mac guessed her to be about Tyler's age; give or take a year or two. She was obviously not a New York native as she had a sky blue sun dress on.

"Hey, Mac," Tyler said as he pulled her into the warmth of the house. "Mom, Aurora!" The gang outside had come back in as the sun was pulled back into the earth.

Aurora tackled Tyler before Jo could hug him. He spun the child before placing her on the floor and going to hug his mom. "Hi, sweetheart," Jo said as she kissed his cheek. When he pulled back he followed Jo's gaze to his guest.

Tyler went over to the blonde, placing his arm around her shoulder. "Shay, this is my family." Tyler gestured to each person as he named them. "Mac, my stepdad; Jo, my mom; Aurora, my youngest sister; and these other people I don't know." Everyone chuckled. Jason, Tony and Seb introduced themselves.

After shaking hands with everyone, the girl backed up to Tyler again. They whispered for a moment. Mac and Jo just barely caught, 'Should we tell them now?' before Tyler turned back to the group. "Everyone, this is Shaylon Hughes, my fiancé."

**A/N: wow...so just a few things...i bet some of you already know who Tony's wife is ;) poor Jason, his background is so mysterious i might have to do a fic just about him and Ellie (JK i have too many stories to write as it is) i know you barely met them but aren't Aurora and Seb just adorable? and don't worry we'll meet Shaylon Hughes better next chapter...if you watch CSI:Miami she shares a likeness to a certain character on that show...not saying anymore! chapter 22 will hopefully be up soon! please R&R**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: i can't believe i wrote this entire chapter in one night...i was going to post it tomorrow (technically today as it is past midnight) but i'm already wide awake and figured why not? so here you go! enjoy and please R&R**

Chapter 22

"Your what?" Jo asked as she approached the blonde. The words didn't seem to register; or rather she didn't want them to, in her mind.

"My fiancé; we've been engaged for three months." Taylor spoke excitedly with his hand on the small of Shaylon's back. The man couldn't look happier with the love of his life standing next to him. The two had only been dating for six months when Tyler popped the question. It seemed crazy at the time but what was crazier was when she said yes.

"You've been what?" Slowly, Jo was stepping closer to the happy couple. Momma bear could handle her five year old having a boyfriend; she could handle her twenty-two year old having a boyfriend; she could not, and would not, handle her thirty-year old, first born, only son being engaged to someone she had never even met until that day. That was inexcusable; that was surreal; that was not about to happen.

Seeing the steam float from her ears, Tyler stepped in front of Shaylon and tried to calm his mother. "Mom, calm down; I was going to tell you, really, but I couldn't exactly find the right time and I wasn't sure how you would react."

"You've been dating this girl…for six months…then you asked her to marry you…and you didn't tell us?" The anger was evident on Jo's face but it seemed almost laughable at the light smile she was trying to keep for the sake of the guests in her home.

Suddenly, Mac interjected standing between Jo and Tyler. "I think you mean 'me', honey." Though Mac wasn't particularly happy that Tyler hadn't informed them of his engagement either, he wasn't about to lose his temper over it. First of all, Tyler wasn't his son and Mac doubted his opinion mattered much to the kid. Second, whether Tyler was his kid or not, he was a grown adult; at thirty years of age he could go and elope in Vegas for all Mac cared. Tyler was perfectly capable of making his own decisions, marriage included. Mac was overall simply happy for him; if Tyler could find the kind of love he shared with Jo then why stop him?

"Excuse me?" Jo placed her hands on her hips as she glared at Mac from the corner of her eye.

"Um, we'll be right back." Mac pulled Jo into their bedroom by the shoulder as they exited the room.

"Well that was awkward…" Tony mumbled to the group. They all nodded their heads and stared at different inanimate objects in the room.

In the bedroom Mac quietly closed the door behind him while Jo fumed. "What the hell, Mac? What was that about?"

"I think you need to calm down, Jo."

"I am perfectly calm!" Neither of them believed it when she said it. She remained in place but the shakiness of her hands and pulsating vein in her neck said otherwise.

"Baby, you're overreacting. Tyler is thirty years old; what is the problem with him getting married? I understand you're upset he didn't tell us, but he is an adult." Mac tried to reason with her. She was still visibly upset but seemed to relax slightly when he took her arms in his hands.

"It's not just that, Mac. He's my baby…Tyler is my first born. I've never even met this girl before! What if she isn't the one? What if it doesn't work out? What if he gets his heart broken? What if-"

"Jo! You can play the 'what-if' game all night. You just don't want anyone to take away your son."

Gazing into Mac's eyes, Jo knew she didn't have to say anymore. He'd figured it out possibly before she had. Jo couldn't stand the thought of anyone taking any of her kids away, especially Tyler. A boyfriend or girlfriend was one thing but this was marriage; this was something that Jo believed broke very easily and she couldn't even imagine if her son went through the hell she did.

Mac saw her thoughts cross over her face and kissed her forehead. "How about you meet her first and then judge her? You're a cop; your job isn't to assume."

"But I'm also a mother…assuming and being overprotective is what I do best." A smirk played across her lips and Mac shook his head playfully at her.

"Well…I can't believe I'm saying this…for dinner, pretend she's a criminal."

"What?" Jo asked confusedly, wondering where in the world Mac was headed with this.

Mac chuckled thinking of the irony. He was about to tell Jo to do the very thing he had just done to Jason. "Pretend she's a criminal. Interrogate her…nicely that is…and find out all the facts before you convict her."

Jo grinned largely. "You are a clever man, Mac Taylor." She placed a kiss on his lips before dragging him back into the dining room.

Ellie had arrived during their conversation in the bedroom and promptly ran to her mom and dad. After an exchange of hugs and kisses they all took their seats at the table. To everyone's surprise, and Aurora and Seb's enjoyment, they were served pizza; homemade by Mac. "It's the only way I could please everyone's taste; unless of course you're lactose intolerant or allergic to tomatoes and or bread. Then, you're on your own." Mac joked before sitting at the head of the table, diagonal from Jo.

Rather lucky for Jo and unlucky for Shaylon, the suspect was sitting right across from the future mother-in-law. Tyler sat next to his fiancé with Ellie and Jason beside him. Aurora and Seb sat between Jo and Tony on the opposite side of the rectangular table; leaving an empty chair for Seb's mother.

After a few bites of the delicious pizza, Jo folded her hands in front of her and tilted her head at Shaylon. "So, Ms. Shaylon Hughes," She began.

The girl quickly popped her head up and smiled shyly at the mother. Under the table, Tyler squeezed her hand for support. "Yes…"

"You're not a New York native, are you?" Jo started off slow before she really dug into the girl.

Slightly surprised, Shaylon shook her head. "No, ma'am; I'm from California." Shaylon paused thinking if her next comment was appropriate to say. She went ahead anyway. "I assume you're not from New York either with that accent."

The statement fazed Jo for only a second. "No, I'm not and I'm surprised you picked up on it. Most people don't notice it. You're a long way from home, though." Jo quickly switched the subject back to Shaylon. "What brought you here?"

Blushing again, Shaylon snuck a gaze at Tyler. "Well, Tyler…" Tyler pecked her cheek and they turned a burning red. "…and my career."

Jo was only slightly fazed by Shaylon and Tyler's sudden show of affection. "That's nice…what exactly is your career?"

"I'm, uh…" Jo was about to jump at her hesitation when Shaylon finally stammered out, "I'm a model."

That had Tony, Jason, and even Mac whipping their heads towards her. Both Jo and Ellie shot death glares at their men that had them staring at their empty plates. Jo continued with her interrogation. "What kind of model?"

"Victoria's secret…" The words stumbled out of her mouth. Though Shaylon enjoyed her job, it wasn't something she went around telling everyone.

Tyler was about to interject seeing the face on Jo's face when Jo spoke first. "I sense hesitation. Is that a good thing or bad thing?" Jo's tone of voice had suddenly left behind her suspicion.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, that hesitation could mean you're either lying to me," Momma bear stopped to see if any tell signs appeared on Shaylon; none. "Or you're embarrassed by your job." Personally, Jo was rooting for the latter; only because it would make Shaylon seem so much more interesting.

"Um, the latter…I'm not exactly embarrassed but I don't like running around telling everyone I'm a model." Shaylon had spoken softly the entire time but was now gaining some volume to her voice.

"Explain," Jo stated flatly but slightly amused.

"Well, most people assume that if you're a model you're a dive, or dumb, or well, frankly a 'witch'." Shaylon held up air quotations to show she meant another word she couldn't say with children in ear shot. "I'm not like that." Being the modest girl she was, Shaylon stopped not wanting to disclose her entire personality in front of complete strangers.

Instead, Tyler did it for her. "Ma, she's modest and down to earth. Shay's super romantic and kind and I don't think I've ever met someone who loves life as much as she does." He gazed at Shay for a second before turning back to Jo. The look in his eyes said 'Did you really think I'd marry someone who's a bitch?'

"Yeah…and I don't plan on being a model forever." Shaylon finished for Tyler, finally having some confidence in her voice. "I would like to become a teacher; either elementary school or middle school. I love kids and I do have an education, unlike most people believe about models."

Some guilt washed over Jo and she smiled at Shaylon. The girl obviously had a good head on her shoulders but Jo was sure to do a background check on her later. "I half approve. I'd like to get to know you better."

"Before we get married?" Shaylon asked with worry and fear evident in her voice.

"I believe that's up to Tyler. I don't think I'd be able to stop the wedding if I wanted to…which I don't by the way…for now…" Jo left some warning in her voice. No one could ever be perfect for Jo Taylor's son but at the moment Shaylon came in pretty close.

"Thank you, Mrs. Taylor." Shaylon smiled shyly again, her voice dropping back down to almost a whisper.

"Jo," The mother corrected. There was a simultaneous breath of relief before Jo turned to Jason with her former suspicious gaze. "Now, you,"

Jason's head whipped up and his expression showed fear. "I, uh…ma'am?"

Ellie slapped her forehead against the palm of her hand. "Oh, lord…"

Mac stepped in before Jo could start in on the poor boy. "Don't worry hon, I already got him. He's cleared…for now…" The married couple shared a glance with another that had Jason wanting to hide under the table.

"Mom, dad; stop trying to scare my boyfriend! That is getting really old!" Ellie half joked from down the table. Ever since her first boyfriend in the eighth grade, Mac had been chasing them off with his terrifying death glare and 'accidental' leaving out of his service weapon. Jo hadn't been nearly as bad but occasionally she'd get caught up in Mac's games and pull the 'I'm former F.B.I. so I can find you anytime, anywhere, anyplace' card. It was a wonder any boy wanted to come within a twenty mile radius of Ellie sometimes.

"I'm done with him, sweetheart. He passed the father test." Mac grinned at the two of them from his seat. As a matter of fact, Jason had passed the test with flying colors in Mac's mind. Most would be suspicious of a man who said he wasn't expecting the relationship to go anywhere but Mac respected his honesty and could sense Jason had some doubt in his statement. He really did love Ellie and want to be with her.

"What about the mother test? I think that's more important." Jo jumped in. She was all jokes now seeing the look on Mac's face. It was obvious he took a liking to Jason and she didn't have anything to worry about with him. If Ellie's boyfriend could impress the great Mac Taylor he evidently belonged in their family.

"Oh, please not another interrogation! I almost fainted the last time!" Jason joined in on the joking seeing the amused faces on everyone. He relaxed slightly seeing his girlfriend's family accept him.

"You should have seen his face, Jo. Jason, tell her what you said when I opened the door!" Mac howled in laughter at the memory.

With bright red cheeks Jason retold his first experience at the door. Ellie shook her head in shame at his slip up but kissed him anyway. That started a round of romantic sharing's around the table; first dates, first kisses, anniversary gifts.

Tony was beginning to feel left out when there was a knock at the door. "If I'm lucky that'll be Seb's mom come to rescue me from being the ninth wheel!"

Jo excused herself from the table to answer the door. There stood a tall, slightly tan, woman with long, tightly curled, dark brown locks. She smiled lightly at Jo. "Hi, I'm Stella. I'm Seb's mom."

The name struck familiarity to Jo but she ignored it. "Yeah, hi; I'm Jo Taylor. Come on in," Jo opened the door for the woman and led her into the dining room. As they walked in, Jo shouted to Tony, "Hey, Tony, your saving grace is here."

Tony and Seb jumped from the table and raced towards Stella. "Hey, babe,"

"Hi, mommy!"

"Hey, guys," Stella picked up Seb and pecked Tony on the cheek.

The voice rang loudly in Mac's head as he recalled the person it belonged to. Standing from his seat he turned to the face. "Stella?"

Stella's heart stopped for just a moment when the familiar voice floated through her ears. "Oh, God…" She looked past Tony and Seb to face him. "Mac?"

Suddenly the name came back to Jo like a tidal wave. The memories all came crashing back. The pain, the betrayal, the sorrow, the anger, the mistrust; it all came back and pounded against her chest with her rapidly beating heartbeat. All Jo could do was stand between them with the blankest expression in history on her face.

Ignorant to the situation, Tony smiled and asked, "You two know each other?"

There was a moment of silence before the question finally registered in Mac's brain. "Uh, yeah…she used to be my second in command at NYPD."

"Oh, cool! Stella, why didn't you tell me you knew Seb's girlfriend's dad?" He chuckled slightly at the run on.

"I, uh…didn't make the connection…" Her eyes had been glued on Mac the entire time. They flew back to Tony and she rushed an excuse in her head to leave. "I'm sorry, but we have to go."

"What? You just got here." Tony whined.

"I know, but we really need to go." Her solemn but firm tone of voice had Tony ready to flee as well.

"Um, alright; well, thank you for dinner Mac. I enjoyed meeting your family. Seb, say goodbye to the Taylor's."

Stella placed her son on the floor and he ran over to Aurora to hug her. "Bye, Aurora." Next he strode over to Mac and Jo. He held up his hand to them and they shook it gently. "It was nice meeting you, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor. Thank you for the pizza." Seb ran back to his mother, flying into her arms.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourselves. Feel welcome to bring Seb over whenever you'd like." Mac offered as they walked to the door.

Quick goodbyes were said and the Bouvier's were gone. Mac knocked his head against the door and shamefully walked back into the dining room. Jo just stared blankly at him before turning on her heel and heading for their bedroom. Left alone, Tyler, Shay, Ellie, Jason, and Aurora stared questioningly at Mac.

"What was that about?" Tyler asked first. The tension between the three adults was obvious to Tyler if not to everyone else.

"Nothing…" Mac stated curtly. He couldn't stand to be surrounded by his family now; not when he was just confronted with the biggest mistake of his life all over again.

Taking the hint, the couples stood from the table and headed for the door. Mac met them as they left.

"It was nice meeting you, sir." Jason said solemnly as he shook Mac's hand again. Mac simply nodded and Jason headed out the door and waited for Ellie.

"I'll see you later, daddy." Ellie pecked him on the cheek. "Whatever it is, I know you and mom will work it out. I love you." Mac smiled at her and they hugged before she walked off with Jason.

Shay met him at the door next. "Um, I know we didn't get to talk much, sir but it was a pleasure meeting you and your family this evening." A shy, yet comforting and reassuring smile crossed her face and she hugged Mac before walking out the door.

Tyler came to Mac with a deep frown on his face. "Fix. This. Now." He said flatly without so much as a handshake with his stepfather. Mac wasn't too surprised by it but it made his guilt fall even deeper. He closed the door with a long sigh and turned to see Aurora holding a stuff bunny behind him.

"Up," She said softly and held her arms out to him. He picked her up and she nuzzled her face in the crook of his neck. She wrapped her small arms around his neck and clung to him tightly. Mac carried her to her bedroom and laid her on the bed.

"Mommy or daddy will be right back to put on your P.J.s and tuck you in, okay?" Mac tried to speak as sweetly as possible but the strain in his voice was too obvious. Just as intelligent as her parents, Aurora picked up on it.

"No, both of you." She said as firm as a five year old could. It was her attempt to sound like her mother. It seemed to work on Mac as he opened his mouth and closed it again. He kissed her forehead and walked into the bedroom, bracing himself for something to be thrown at his head.

Instead he found Jo curled up on the bed. She wasn't sobbing or cursing or anything. She was simply staring off into space with a conflicted expression etched on her face. "Jo," Mac started unsure of where to even go with this.

Jo didn't move. She closed her eyes and breathed heavily. She thought of opening her mouth to say something but nothing came to mind so she continued to lay there. In the midst of her tangled thoughts she felt Mac crawl on the bed next to her. He lay beside her; he didn't touch her or kiss her; he just laid there staring at the back of her head. "Jo…" He said again, this time as if asking an unspoken question.

"I don't know…" Jo answered with his eyes still closed tight. Her head was nowhere near the right place at the moment. She was doing very well at keeping all her emotions bottled up. She didn't want to hide them from Mac; she just needed a moment to sort them out. Jo had the whole six months of horror replaying in her head again and the conflicting emotions pulled at her heart. Jo felt like she couldn't breathe; her mind was so unfocused it had stopped telling her lungs to breathe and her heart to pump.

"Jo!" When Mac noticed the subtle rise and fall of her chest stop he pulled her towards him. "Jo, breathe!"

Jo's eyes shot open. Seeing Mac looming over her with the most panicked expression started a stream of tears down her cheek. Her breath was shaky and she covered her face with her hands. "Why am I crying?" It was intended to be a thought but Jo asked it aloud.

"This is all my fault." Mac said for about the thousandth time in their relationship. Every time something went wrong, even a minor fight or something in a case, Mac blamed himself. He refused to let the guilt fall on Jo. In his mind, she was incapable of any wrongdoing. If he wanted to protect her he had to let the blame fall on him.

"Stop saying that!" Jo half shouted. She'd almost forgotten Aurora was just two doors down. She couldn't stand to see Mac do to himself what he had tried so hard to keep her from doing.

Confusedly Mac answered, "It is! You're crying because I betrayed you-" Mac stopped remembering everything he'd done to her. It was so much more than betrayal but the words wouldn't escape his throat. He felt like he'd be putting another knife in her back if he brought it up again.

"No…" Mac moved to the other side of the bed and Jo straddled him in his lap. "No, I mean yes…" The frown on Mac's face and his expression of utter shame almost brought more tears to Jo's eyes. She breathed in deeply before continuing. "You did hurt me and betray me but…you apologized, so many times, and you never gave up on us. Mac, you kept pushing to fix things and right your wrongs even though you didn't know what the outcome would be. You…sang…to me. You made love to me and somehow…you just…you made this work…you made this…a fairytale." Pulling his face to hers, Jo fit her lips into his. "Everything you've done for me and for Ellie and Aurora and even Tyler; all that good outweighs anything bad you have ever done and ever could do." Jo kissed him again.

Though some guilt still lingered on his expression, Mac's face was mostly lit up with confusion. "But…"

Sighing playfully, Jo placed her finger on his lips. "Stop blaming yourself, Mac. Whatever you think you should feel guilty for; don't. I forgave you a long time ago. I think you need to hear that yes, I was angry and hurt and betrayed and even a little homicidal but I don't feel that way anymore. Seeing Stella brought back a lot of memories…but the majority was good. I just need you to remind me that you're still mine."

Seemingly satisfied with this explanation Mac pulled Jo's face to his and locked their lips together. Entranced with each other's tongues wrestling, the couple didn't notice their five year old creep into their room.

She stood at the door with her Disney Princess pajama gown on and a horrified expression on her face. "EWWW! That's gross!"

Keeping the reference to their selves, Mac and Jo thought, _How do you think you got here?_

**A/N: haha i love the last line, my friend's parents actually gave me that idea! i was at her house and we walked into the kitchen to find them making out and we're both like " EWW! THAT'S GROSS!" and her mom said, "how do you think you got here?" haha i love crude jokes...anyway hope you enjoyed this chapter because there is only one more left )': (possibly two depending on how detailed i get) the final chapter will be up soon...please R&R**_  
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	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: :( it's the last chapter...i am extremely happy with how i ended this so i hope you all enjoy it. oh and i'm posting this at 330 in the morning (US east coast) because i seriously just wrote it in three hours and couldn't wait to see your reviews! enjoy and please R&R **

**A/N2: sorry forgot...there are two songs in this chapter first is Wanted by Hunter Hayes, then Somethin' 'Bout A Woman by Lady Antebellum, and finally Days Like These by Jason Aldean...i'm just saying that now in case you wanted to listen to the songs as you read or after or before or whatever...okay shutting up now! enjoy!**

Chapter 23

"You almost ready, hon?" Lucy asked, entering the dressing room of the chapel. She grinned wider remembering the exact words her mother said awhile ago.

"It's a little late if I'm not, don't ya think?" Aurora replied as she stood from the mirror. Her long white gown flowed down past her feet and hugged her curves. She nervously played with the tiara-veil on her head and smoothed out her gown for about the hundredth time in the last fifteen minutes.

Lucy giggled and took Aurora's hands in hers. "You look beautiful. Everything is going to go perfectly."

"You look really pretty, auntie Rora." A soft voice said from behind Lucy. The child clung to Lucy's gown and smiled wide, front-toothless grin at her.

Aurora bent down to kiss her niece. "Thank you, Daniella."

"Go wait with daddy, Daniella." Lucy said sweetly and her seven year old bounced off into the chapel. Turning back to Aurora, Lucy asked, "You ready?"

"Almost…I just need a minute…can you send him in, please?" Aurora asked nervously.

Lucy only knew of three people that could calm down her friend at this moment. One was currently busy waiting at the altar so she went with second best. "I'll be right back." Lucy slipped out the door.

Aurora paced nervously around the room. This was her big day and the weight of it was slowly falling on her. She knew she had nothing to worry about; everyone had arrived, the priest was ready, the bridesmaids and men of honor were set, the limo was already out front, and most importantly she was certain she and her groom were madly in love. She just needed a little more assurance. In a few minutes, tall, dark, and handsome walked through the door with a stoic but calming demeanor. "Hi, angel,"

"Dad," Aurora whipped around and immediately threw her arms around Mac's neck. With her father's arms wrapped around her she suddenly felt more relaxed and at ease. She wondered if that was how her mother felt every time they were together. They had been married over twenty years and it seemed they treated every day like it was the first time they'd met. Aurora prayed for that kind of love with her groom.

Mac hugged her then pulled her back, placing his hands on her bare shoulders. The anxiety on her face practically washed away as he looked deeply into her eyes. He no longer had to ask what was wrong as most of her worries disappeared. Instead he focused on one thing he had been dying to ask. "Are you sure I can't change your mind?"

Aurora chuckled. She could already tell where he was headed with this. "About the wedding or moving to Montana?"

"Both," Mac chuckled. He was trying desperately not to completely prohibit her from getting married and leaving the state of New York. The thought of losing his little girl was unbearable.

"Dad…" Aurora said in a slightly whining tone. "We've told you a million times; we're in love. We're getting married and we're going to be happy." She paused to see the slightly disappointed but relieved expression on Mac's face. "And don't worry about us moving either. Lucy and David will make sure we're settled in and I'll call you every week. You're not losing me, dad. I'm just a phone call away." With a nod of the head Mac accepted this deal and kissed his daughter's temple. Unlike most fathers and daughters, Mac and Aurora were close; they could almost read one another's minds sometimes. Taking a note from her father's handbook Aurora tilted her head slightly and smirked. "Now, are you sure I can't change your mind?"

"Oh, you're turning the tables on me?" They both laughed. "No, I don't think so. You know since we retired, your mom can't sit still. I think a cross-country trip will be good for both of us. Montana will probably be our first stop…" Mac winked causing slight laughter to escape Aurora.

"Okay, okay…speaking of mom…" Mac read the unspoken question in her head.

With a sigh Mac left the room. Aurora waited impatiently for her mom to walk through the door. She smiled thinking of the surprise her dad held for her mom. Jo was never one for surprises but when it came to Mac, she'd agree to anything. The trip did seem necessary to Aurora; they'd retired awhile ago but were busy with their grandkids and finding their replacements at NYPD. With David in charge of the lab now and their grandkids growing up so fast, they had nothing to do but sit around all day. It was not a good thing when Jo Taylor had nothing to do. In less than a minute, Jo walked through the door on the brink of tears.

"Oh, mom…" Aurora said as she went to hug her.

Jo hugged her tightly and wished she didn't have to let go. "I keep telling myself…I'm not going to…cry…" Sobs interrupted Jo's speech as she tried to hold back the tears threatening to fall.

Aurora laughed softly at her attempt to restrain her emotions. "Mom, I think it'll be okay if you cry. I mean, everyone else will be…well, except dad. I don't think he's capable of shedding tears."

The woman laughed and Jo wiped at her eyes. She took Aurora's face in hers and gazed into her eyes. Jo couldn't help but think how similar she and Mac were. Over the years, Aurora had lost her resemblance to her mother and taken a liking to Mac. Fortunately, or rather unfortunately for them, she'd kept Jo's stubborn personality. "Sweetheart, you look so beautiful." A tear fell from both their eyes. "I can't believe…my last baby…is getting married…" Seeing the slightly worried expression on Aurora's face, Jo calmed herself. "Just imagine you and him and everything will be fine." Aurora nodded and Jo hugged her one last time. She squeezed her hand as she slipped out the door.

Aurora took in another breath as she finally prepared herself for the moment. "Okay…everything will be fine." she whispered to herself and walked out of the door. With her exit, the first bridesmaid, Lucy cued the music.

As the piano played, the ring bearer toddled down the aisle. The audience turned to see a brown haired, three year old carrying a pillow down the aisle. He stopped a few times and turned behind him to see his mommy and daddy urging him on.

"Go to grandma," Tyler and Shaylon whispered to their son, Jacob. The toddler grinned goofily and half sprinted towards his grandma. He nearly tripped at the front row which had everyone in the church giggling and 'aw'-ing. Jo directed him to the front of the altar and crouched down next to him so he wouldn't run to his parents when they came down the aisle.

Next came the flower girl, Daniella. True to the Messer family, she took after her mother, Lucy. Her and her husband, David couldn't help but smile from the back of the church as their daughter gracefully dropped white roses along the aisle. Lindsay and Danny snapped pictures from their seats and waved at their granddaughter. Daniella quickly waved back and continued to the altar.

With the ring bearer and flower girl at the front, then came the bridesmaids and men of honor. Tyler and his wife Shaylon were first to appear as they walked arm in arm to the front. Lucy and David followed behind, then college friends of Aurora and her future husband's, and lastly Ellie and her beau, Jason. Recently married themselves, they couldn't help but blush at one another as they walked down the aisle once again.

Finally the music hit a crescendo as Aurora placed her arm through Mac's and they strode down the aisle together. When they reached the front of the church, Mac kissed her cheek and shook his future son-in-law's hand. "I'm still watching you, son…" Mac said with one last friendly warning. The groom nodded his head, mostly in fear, and took Aurora's hands in his.

Mac took his seat next to Jo and placed his arm around her shoulder. He kissed her cheek, making his wife blush.

"Mac Taylor, what did you say to him?" Jo whispered gesturing toward the groom.

"Nothing…just a friendly warning…" He teased and placed his other hand on hers.

Like a million times before, Jo felt a burning sensation run through her entire body. There was fire burning in Mac's brown eyes and she could sense the same heat rising in her. After over twenty years of marriage she still felt as giddy as a school girl when Mac looked at her that way. They treated every day like it was their first and every night like it was their last. Jo couldn't simply say 'I love you' anymore because it didn't feel like it was enough. Those three words couldn't even begin to describe the kind of soul connection she and Mac shared. Jo had to force herself to tear her eyes away from him and pay attention to the ceremony. Mac simply leaned in closer and let his warm breath raise goose bumps all over her body.

""Do you, Aurora-Sophia Evelyn Danville Taylor, take this man, Sebastian Marcello Bouvier, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honor, and cherish, forsaking all others, until death do you part?"

Without tearing her eyes away from her future husband, Aurora said sweetly, "I do."

The priest then turned to Seb. ""Do you, Sebastian Marcello Bouvier, take this woman, Aurora-Sophia Evelyn Danville Taylor, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honor, and cherish, forsaking all others, until death do you part?"

"I do." Seb answered. His eyes never left the beautiful face of his bride.

As they placed their rings on each other's fingers every couple in the church took each other's hands.

"By the power invested in me and the state of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." The priest barely had a chance to finish his sentence before Seb's lips locked onto Aurora's. There was quiet applause in the church and the priest presented them to the crowd. "I now present Mr. and Mrs. Sebastian Marcello Bouvier."

The happy couple was still locking lips, gaining raised eyebrows and subtle coughing from their audience. They finally broke apart and remained entranced in one another's eyes.

.

.

.

_You know I'd fall apart without you_

_ I don't know how you do what you do_

_ 'Cause everything that don't make sense about me _

_ Makes sense when im with you_

_ Like everything that's green, girl I need you_

_ But it's more than one and one makes two_

_ Put aside the math and the logic of it_

_ You gotta know you want it too_

As their song played, Seb and Aurora danced together, alone, on the dance floor. She rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes, letting time be an allusion and the memories of them dance through her head.

_'Cause I wanna wrap you up_

_ Wanna kiss you lips_

_ I wanna make you feel wanted_

_ And I wanna call you mind_

_ Wanna hold your hand forever_

_ Never let you forget it_

_ Yeah, I wanna make you feel wanted_

No one ever thought that the two lovebirds would be in a relationship since kindergarten. Of course, when a six year old says 'I have a boyfriend' no one believes her. Somehow and somewhere along the line, that statement became reality and neither Seb nor Aurora wanted to make it false. If anyone asked them how long they'd been dating, they'd say twenty years. It was quite humorous at first until they explained how they'd been friends since they were five and something just…clicked. They couldn't get away from one another and if they had the choice, they wouldn't want to.

_Anyone call tell you you're pretty_

_ You get that all the time, I know you do_

_ But your beauty's deeper than the makeup_

_ And I wanna show you what I see tonight_

Seb had his eyes closed as well, blocking out everything around them. All he could feel were Aurora's arms wrapped around her neck, her head against his shoulder, and her body pressed against his. He had the largest smiled on his face; not just from holding his new wife but from the conversation he recalled with Mac.

_When I wrap you up_

_ When I kiss your lips_

_ I wanna make you feel wanted_

_ And I wanna call you mine_

_ Wanna hold your hand forever_

_ Never let you forget it_

_ 'Cause baby I wanna make you feel wanted_

Expectantly, the father had asked him what he loved so much about his daughter. There was no one thing Seb could think of so he just named everything. How she smiled all the time, no matter the situation; how her faced scrunched up when she was determined about something; how she always played with the one curly strand in her hair; how she was so overprotective of her nieces and nephews; how she was unpredictable; how she jingled when she walked because of her multiple bracelets; how she was always acted tough and stubborn; how she got excited over the most childish things; how even when she was a thunder storm, everything else seemed calm; how to anyone else her singing voice was like nails on chalkboard but to him it was angels playing harps; how her eyes lit up when she saw him; how his heart skipped a beat when he saw her; how her kisses tasted like candy; how she always tried to give him the world when he wanted to do the same; how she loved with all her heart; how he felt complete when he was next to her; how he simply loved her and knew deep in his heart she loved him too. After about twenty minutes of Seb rambling on about her, Mac simply said, "Same as Jo..."

_As good as you make me feel_

_ I wanna make you feel better_

_ Better than your fairy tales_

_ Better than your best dreams_

_ You're more than everything I need_

_ You're all I ever wanted_

_ All I ever wanted_

The song came to an end and everyone was invited onto the dance floor. Immediately, Mac grabbed Jo's hand and dragged her out into the middle of the floor. Jo blushed as he took her right hand in his left and placed his other hand on her waist. Seeing the large space between them, Mac frowned playfully and pulled her closer while placing his hand on the small of her back.

Jo shook her head. "Mac, come on…I haven't danced in…years!"

"Just one song…then I have a surprise for you…" He whispered in her ear and hugged her closer. The music picked up and Mac twirled her.

_Yeah there's something 'bout a woman that's a clear blue sky_

_ Ain't found nothing better that'll get you high_

_ You're the colors of the sun at the end of the day_

_ Yeah there's something 'bout a woman that make you feel that way_

_She's like fire on the mountain_

_Like some kind of heaven that's pouring down on me_

_She's a child, she's a lady_

_She's got everything that I could ever need_

With one last spin, Jo spun out of Mac's hands and back into her seat. She landed in a fit of laughter. Mac strode over to her and quickly crashed his lips into hers. "I'll be right back…" He said mysteriously as he rushed out the door.

Jo barely had a second to question him before he was gone. She shrugged it off as she looked around the room. Her eyes immediately fell on her baby girl, Aurora, and her new husband. They were whispering nonsense into one another's ears as they danced. Jo couldn't help but notice the wide smile on both their faces. She'd never seen her daughter or Seb so happy before but with one another. If that wasn't a sign they were meant to be, she didn't know what was. Looking at the two reminded Jo of her and Mac. Aurora and Seb were like Mac and Jo had they married in their twenties instead of their forties; hopeless romantics that couldn't stay away from one another. Something always brought them back together; they were inseparable. People always said that love was the strongest force in the world but Jo believed Mac and Jo shared something stronger. It was something on top of love that kept their souls, their minds, and their bodies connected. There wasn't a word for it; it was just there and Jo was grateful she could have it with Mac. She was grateful her daughter could have it with Seb.

Thinking of Seb, Jo looked across the dance floor to see his parents, Stella and Tony sitting together. Before a knife covered in jealousy or pain or anger or sadness would have stabbed Jo in the heart. Now, she was just…happy; almost relieved. A long time ago, they had figured out that Mac never actually slept with Stella. It didn't take any of the emotions away but it did ease some of Jo's mistrust. Though she and Stella would never be best friends or anything of the like, for their kid's sake they would be civil and share some respect for one another. They left the relationship at that and everyone in the family seemed satisfied with the agreement.

One relationship that Seb didn't let go was his parents'. The couple was still…a couple but legally they still were not married; not that Tony didn't ask…every day…since Seb was born. Every time, Stella turned him down yet they stayed together. Jo never quite understood this but she honestly preferred not to know so much about them. Her curious mind was satisfied with the assumption that Tony and Stella shared the same kind of mysterious bond she and Mac shared but on a different level.

A smirk played over Jo's lips and she scanned the rest of the room. She came across her first daughter and her husband. It wasn't shocking to Jo that Ellie had waited until she was forty-two to marry her long time boyfriend Jason. L_ike mother, like daughter…_ Jo thought. Not that Ellie was unsure of the stability of her and Jason's relationship but with him traveling all over the world for his business, it was quite difficult to even think of marriage, let alone plan a wedding. Eloping in Vegas had been a long time joke between mother and daughter; never once was Jo serious. That was until Ellie and Jason actually eloped. Jo couldn't be the least bit upset as Ellie reminded her that she and Mac had practically done the same thing.

As long as they were happy was what Jo kept reminding herself. Mac had to use the same mantra for awhile when he found out the news; even more irritating Mac found out last. If it hadn't been for the fact that Jason's business had kicked off so well, Mac would have surely hurt the kid. Shockingly, Jason's idea of opening a company that funded the business ventures of kids was a huge hit. He had already recruited about one hundred kids after the first month of his start. Some ten odd years later, Jason and his company for responsible for about sixty kid created toy brands, businesses, foundations, fundraisers, and more. Jo smiled when she saw them arm wrestling with the younger kids; their childlike mentality was still intact even at their age.

Searching across the dance floor, Jo saw Lucy and David. She watched as the couple danced with their daughter Daniella and newborn son Lucas. They were such a beautiful family. It seemed to be a running theme in their family that everyone's name had to start with D or L and at least one member of each generation had to be a cop. Jo laughed remembering how Lucy had met her husband. David was a rookie joining the team as Jo and Mac were leaving. Lucy had come back during break to visit everyone at the lab and run into David.

It was not love at first sight; not for Lucy anyway. He was cocky and slightly arrogant and frankly, a little too egotistical. He tried to pull some lame line on Lucy and, being her mother's child, she didn't fall for it. She brushed right past him to her parents and aunt and uncles on the team. David was a persistence bastard though and after some shift negotiations with Danny, managed to get her number. Lucy didn't dare answer her phone for weeks. Until one day, she couldn't take it anymore and answered it just to tell him off. Somehow in the midst of her verbal slashes, David said something that wasn't related to him or arrogant or stupid; "You've made me fall in love…with you." To which Lucy replied, "You don't even know me." All David said was, "But I want to." and from there their conversation lasted about six hours. It was no longer a one sided romance from that point.

Jo turned to the other side of the room to find Tyler and Shaylon cuddled close as they watched their older kids chase after their youngest. Jacob, who had just recently turned three, was racing around the dance floor like a mad man. His older brother, T.J., and older sister, Julia, playfully chased after him. Jo watched as their oldest, T.J. nearly caught up to Jacob. His shaggy brown hair whipped in his faced and his thin frame was even more noticeable in his dress shirt and slacks. Tyler Junior was now seventeen and was almost the complete opposite of Tyler; excluding their names. Jo had to laugh at the irony. T.J. was a quiet, but intelligent and artistic kid. He'd already gotten a majority of his credits to graduate by his sophomore year and his schedule now consisted mainly of fine art classes; ceramics, photography, creative writing, etcetera.

Julia, now ten, seemed to follow the rule of opposites in the family. Unlike, the sweet and gentle Shaylon, Julia was a sports fanatic. She liked playing rough and getting her hands dirty. She reminded Jo a little of herself at her age, but even then Jo wasn't that wild. Julia's guy friends outweighed her female friends, which almost gave forty-nine year old Tyler Senior a heart attack. Luckily, Mac was still pretty handy with a gun. Even at seventy, Mac wouldn't turn down the chance to chase away some horny boys from his only granddaughter. Looking at Tyler, Shaylon, T.J., and Julia, Jo could only imagine how Jacob would turn out.

Turning in her seat, Jo saw her former team. Lindsay and Danny sat next to one another and watched their kids dance with their grandkids. Don was flirting with a red head by the bar; still not one for marriage, he took full advantage of the single life at sixty-five years old, though he could pass for someone half his age. Sheldon as usual was in an in-depth conversation with Jason's younger sister, Stephanie. Jo swore there was something more than an intellectual bond between them.

Jo looked around the room once more. A large smile crossed her face when she saw how big her family had become. She'd started off with no one and nothing but Tyler and Russ. Now she had Tyler, Shaylon, Ellie, Jason, Aurora, Seb, Lindsay and Danny, Hawkes, Flack, and everyone that surrounded her in that reception all. Her eyes glistened as she imagined the long road that brought her from hell to heaven. It really did seem like a fairy tale to her. Thirty odd years ago, she wouldn't have believed it. She would have laughed then cried and prayed for it to come true. Now, she was standing there living her dream; her and Mac's dream; a family where everyone was loved and everyone was protected.

Suddenly she realized someone was missing; Mac. Jo jumped out of her seat and went in search of him outside. She burst through the double doors. To her amazement, a large RV was parked right in front. Her mouth fell as she admired the long vehicle. The driver side window rolled down to reveal an ecstatic Mac. She looked up and they grinned at one another as the radio blasted throughout the vehicle.

_Turn it up a little bit louder_

_Turn it up I love this song_

_Come on girl the world is ours_

_Let's do something right or wrong_

_Life it short, let's go live it_

_Ain't no time for wasting it_

_Days like these, they go by way too fast_

_Yeah, days like these, you wanna make 'em last_

Jo hopped into the AV and took a seat next to Mac. He grabbed her hand and leaned in to kiss her. With that, he sped out of the parking lot and onto the open road. With a huge grin on her face, Jo turned to Mac and asked curiously, "Mac, what are we doing?"

With a devilish grin, Mac turned to her. "Beautiful, we're passing through you're world…"

_The End_

**A/N: *sigh* so sad it's over :( ah well! thanks so much to everyone who read and/or reviewed! **i would especially like to thank tlh45, camilaSVUCD and NYPD8433 for reviewing almost every chapter!** i'm glad you stuck with the story and hope you all liked it! to those of you i told everyone would find out mac didnt really sleep with stella, i really did have a good idea for that but it was too difficult to incorporate in the story so :/ ah well at least they know now! i will leave the 'how' up to your imagination! oh and last thing i hope you got Mac's reference in his last line...if not reread chapter 20...okay that's all! thanks again and please leave a review!**


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